Statement of US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on November employment numbers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the November 2009 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past November, the economy lost 11,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate decreased to 10 percent.

"I am encouraged by the pattern of moderated job loss; however, I will not be satisfied until there are robust job gains.

"This administration is focused on jobs and job creation every day. We are working hard to sustain economic growth and spur renewed hiring for the millions of Americans who need and want work but cannot find it.

"Over the past 10 months, the Obama Administration has taken bold steps to break the back of this recession. While there has been a lot of rhetoric about the Recovery Act, when you look at today's report and other recent favorable economic trends, it is hard to argue that the Recovery Act is not working.

"Reports from the Council of Economic Advisors, Recovery Act recipients and most recently the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirm that the Recovery Act has saved or created more than one million jobs. The economy is now growing again for the first time in more than a year – and faster than at any time in two years.

"We already have taken additional steps to boost job creation – from extending business tax breaks and benefits for homebuyers to increasing access to capital for small banks. Yesterday, I participated in the Forum for Jobs and Economic Growth at the White House. This forum was an opportunity to discuss ways to spur job creation with some of the leading voices in the public and private sectors.

"The Department of Labor is working to provide opportunities and training for hundreds of thousands of people through our Workforce Investment Act training and other programs. Earlier this month, we awarded $55 million in grants to states and community organizations to support job training and labor market information programs to help workers, many in underserved communities, find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations.

"At the Department of Labor, we are working tirelessly to ensure that we fulfill our responsibility to provide workers with the assistance they need today to help them find good jobs. We still have work to do before we can be sure that all Americans have access to good jobs, but I am confident that we will reach that goal."