Pelosi Statement on October Jobs Report

Contact: Drew Hammill/Evangeline George, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added 271,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.0 percent. With businesses adding 268,000 jobs last month, October represents the 68th consecutive month of private sector job growth:

"October's jobs numbers show our economy making strong progress. Yet many Americans are still stuck searching for a good-paying job or waiting for a long overdue pay-raise. Congress must do more to create jobs and raise the wages of hard-working Americans.

"For too long, Republicans have shortchanged our investments in the infrastructure America needs to succeed in the 21st century. As the House and Senate go to conference on the Highway Bill, Democrats will continue to champion a higher funding level and a more robust commitment to create good-paying jobs rebuilding and renewing the infrastructure of America. We must also complete the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank that supports so many jobs and exporters across America.

"Thanks to the unanimous vote of House and Senate Democrats, the bipartisan budget agreement signed into law this week is projected to create 340,000 new jobs next year alone. Yet more than 200 Republicans in the House and Senate voted against this vital legislation. Now, Republicans continue to threaten to derail this progress and shut down the government over their dangerous and unacceptable ideological riders to the Omnibus bill. Democrats will continue to work to avert more job-killing Republican crises and win progress for hard-working American families."

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