Levin Statement on Strong July Jobs Numbers

Press Release

Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), member of the House Education and Labor Committee and workforce policy expert, released the following statement:

"I am pleased by the announcement of a strong jobs report. In July, 943,000 jobs were added to our economy, displaying America's resilience and ability to build back better. Under a Democratic House, Senate and White House, millions of Americans are receiving meaningful relief that helps them provide for themselves and their families and turn away from the economic devastation that marked the last year.

"Even with this growth, we know there are still millions of workers not captured in these data. I have long felt frustration with the way we measure unemployment and the inaccurate picture of our workforce we get as a result. I was pleased last week to have my amendment included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations bills highlighting the need for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to survey historically marginalized populations more accurately to provide a clearer understanding of where we should focus workforce and community support.

"For example, this report shows that 3.4 million Americans remain long-term unemployed -- out of work for a half-year or longer. We must enhance programs for these workers and remove the many barriers they face to getting back into the workforce. Long-term unemployment is a stain on our economy that we must clean up if we seek to ensure that recovery from the pandemic lasts. I cannot emphasize enough how we need targeted, local programs, as would be created by my Long-Term Unemployment Elimination Act with Senator Chris Van Hollen, to help these folks get back into productive work and grow our economy from the bottom up."

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