Ranking Member Scott Statement on January Jobs Report
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 143,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate slightly ticked down to 4.0 percent from 4.1 percent. Under President Biden, the economy added 16.2 million jobs. That is more jobs in four years than any President on record. And more jobs than any Republican President, whether they served four or eight years. He has also made history as the first President of the United States on record to not have a single month of seasonally adjusted job loss during his entire term.
“Under President Biden, millions of good-paying jobs were created, and workers were empowered with the protections they need to thrive. We saw a labor market that prioritized workers' rights, union protections, and economic opportunity for all Americans. However, today we face a sobering reality. Through a string of executive orders and illegal firings, in just three weeks the current Administration is threatening to rapidly undo the last four years of progress.
“In a move that will undermine workers across the country, the President dismissed two EEOC Commissioners, Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels—an unprecedented action that destabilizes an independent agency meant to protect Americans from discrimination. In a similarly alarming move, the President illegally fired NLRB Member Gwynne Wilcox, suppressing the NLRB’s ability to safeguard workers' union rights and hold union-busting companies accountable. With these new absences, neither the EEOC nor the NLRB have a quorum, severely limiting their ability to get justice for workers. These actions, compounded by President Trump revoking Executive Order 11246, which protects federal contract workers and job applicants from unlawful discrimination, leave workers at the mercy of their bosses with fewer paths for recourse.
“Additionally, consumers are bracing for the negative impact of the President’s Trump’s reckless tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. Not only do these tariffs risk immediately driving up prices for gas, groceries, and housing, but supply chains for everyday goods may come under immense pressure.
“Contrary to the beliefs of this Administration, Elon Musk, and his Cabinet of billionaires attempting to undermine our government, we must remember that we are ‘a government of the people, by the people, for the people.’ This Administration may seek to dismantle the progress we've made, but I will not stop fighting for an economy that truly serves working people. We must keep pushing for an economy that works for all—one where good jobs and worker protections are not just promises, but a reality.”
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