Chairman Scott Statement on January Jobs Report
WASHINGTON – Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 49,000 jobs in January with the unemployment rate at 6.3 percent.
“Today’s jobs report is further evidence that Congress must take immediate action to defeat the pandemic and provide substantial relief to the American people. After showing early signs of recovery, the economy is once again sputtering as the virus continues to claim the lives and livelihoods of people across the country. The meager jobs gains in this report are particularly concerning given that economy is still nearly 10 million jobs behind where we were the month before the pandemic.
“We have a responsibility to do everything in our power to meet the needs of our communities. This week, the House took the important step of passing a budget resolution that provides Congress a tool to avoid partisan gridlock at this critical moment in the fight against COVID-19.
“The next COVID package must provide urgent relief to the unprecedented number of workers and families who are facing hunger and homelessness. The next package must also provide schools the necessary resources to open safely, help institutions of higher education cope with the severe financial strain, and keep our childcare providers afloat.
“Finally, the COVID-19 rescue package must help close the massive state and local budget shortfalls, which will inevitably force painful cuts to education and other public services if left unaddressed.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues to the deliver a comprehensive relief bill that will sustain our communities and our economy, while finally putting an end to this pandemic.”
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