Rep. Vargas' Statement on the Department of Labor's February Jobs Report

Statement

Today, Congressman Juan Vargas (D-51) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor released reports indicating that the economy added 236,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent:

"The increase of jobs is a very positive indicator that our economy is growing and on a forward path to recovery. However, our economy is still very fragile and we cannot take these improvements for granted. In my district, Imperial County suffers from 25.5 percent unemployment, one of the highest in the country and the highest in the state of California.

It is tragic that now that our economic recovery is gaining momentum and we are experiencing steady improvements in our unemployment rates, Republicans continue to hold our nation hostage and insist on moving forward with cuts that will ultimately decimate any progress we have seen.

Our nation, our economy, and our people deserve better than to be torn down just as they are experiencing recovery. We are not in a position to bounce back from the brutal cuts that will take place should sequestration move forward. As elected officials, it is our duty to fight for the improvement, not the destruction, of our economy. It is apparent that Republicans do not care about the devastating and irreversible effects that their cuts will inflict on Americans."

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