Scott Statement on April Jobs Report
WASHINGTON— House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) released the following statement today after the release of the monthly jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS announced that during the month of April, 223,000 jobs were created and the unemployment rate dipped to 5.4 percent – the lowest since May 2008. To date, the economy has now had a record 62 consecutive months of private sector job growth.
“The jobs report released today proves that our job market is steadily growing and more Americans are being put back to work. By adding 223,000 jobs, we are successfully approaching our prerecession levels and we cannot afford to go back. Under President Obama’s leadership, the private sector has added 12.3 million jobs over 62 consecutive months, and the unemployment rate has decreased greatly since its 10 percent peak.
“While this is excellent news, it is clear that more must be done to boost paychecks and bring more financial assurance to hardworking families across the country. One way we can do this by raising the minimum wage. Bigger paychecks for working families not only help them make ends meet, it also increases consumer demand and grows our economy. We can’t build a strong economy on the backs of impoverished workers -- America deserves a raise. I am committed to ensuring that living wages are within reach for every hardworking American.”
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