Statement of Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on August employment numbers

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the August 2010 Employment Situation report released today:

"This past August, the economy gained 67,000 jobs in the private sector, and the unemployment rate increased to 9.6 percent. Total nonfarm employment declined by 54,000 over the month, as 114,000 temporary census jobs wrapped up between July and August and more than offset the private sector job gains.

"We have now added private sector jobs for eight straight months, totaling 763,000 private sector jobs since the beginning of the year. While we need to pick up the pace of recovery, erase the job losses and get Americans back to work, this encouraging growth shows that we are headed in the right direction.

"As soon as we took office, this administration took action to stop the economic bleeding. To help put people back to work, we passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which already has saved or created more than 2.5 million American jobs. The actions this administration undertook helped our economy grow for four consecutive quarters.

"It's important to remember how far we've come. When this administration took office, we were losing 750,000 jobs each month. The question was whether we'd enter another depression. This year, we've averaged 95,000 private sector jobs added each month, and the debate is about the pace of the recovery. But we know we still have a ways to go.

"To support growth, it is critical to support our small businesses, which are key drivers of our economic recovery. Indeed, two out of every three jobs created in our economy are created by small businesses. So far, this administration has helped pass eight different tax cuts for small businesses, and we know there is more we can do to help. The Small Business Jobs Act, pending in the Senate, would provide a set of tax breaks and lending incentives to spur investment and hiring by small businesses. It would accelerate $55 billion of tax relief to encourage American businesses, small and large, to expand their investments over the next 14 months. We join the president, small business leaders and those Americans looking for work, and call upon the Senate to pass this critical piece of legislation to ensure that we continue on the path of recovery.

"At the Department of Labor, we continue to provide essential tools to help job seekers find employment. We recognize that in a tough labor market it can be difficult for the jobless to figure out what jobs they are most qualified for, or what kind of training can help workers successfully transition into a new career. So, this Labor Day we are unveiling "mySkills myFuture" a new online tool to help job seekers do just that. By visiting http://www.myskillsmyfuture.org, job seekers can see exactly what skills and training they need, find local training and education providers, and view real job postings in their area.

"Without a doubt, we are climbing out of this recession and are on the road to recovery. The president and I have confidence in the American economy, and we have confidence in the American people. We will continue fighting every day to keep this economy moving forward."