Chairman Neal Statement on the August 2020 Jobs Report

Statement

Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) August 2020 jobs report:

"We must not forget that tens of millions of Americans remain unemployed as a direct result of the pandemic, and the Trump Administration's ineffectual response continues to make it unsafe for them to return to work. Due to Senate Republicans and White House inaction, many families are now losing their homes and accumulating mountains of debt just to keep food on the table. Congress needs to pass another relief package that provides the financial supports people require to survive this ongoing crisis. As long as the Trump Administration fails to control the virus and manage the public health emergency, our society cannot return to pre-pandemic normalcy.

"A closer look at today's report reveals a tale of two Americas: furloughed workers being recalled are seeing nearly all of the employment gains as permanent job losses continue to rise. While government employment counted for a fourth of this month's employment increase, that count included temporary Census workers whose jobs will evaporate at the end of this month.

"These latest numbers further disprove Republicans' claim that unemployment insurance discourages work. A substantial portion of last month's gains were retail, restaurant, and hospitality jobs, showing that service workers will return to their positions as soon as they're safely able, even for low pay.

"Safety is the key feature in all aspects of our nation's recovery, and further federal response will be essential until it is safe for our economy to reopen and for workers to return to their jobs."

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