Statement of US Labor Secretary Perez on August employment numbers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the August 2016 Employment Situation report released today:

“As we head into Labor Day weekend, the August employment report shows that we’re continuing a steady recovery. Thanks to the grit and determination of American workers, the economy added 151,000 jobs in August. With this report, the private sector has added 15.1 million jobs since February 2010, and we are in the middle of the longest streak of overall job growth on record. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.9 percent – more than cut in half since the depths of the recession. 

"So many American families are better off this Labor Day than they were seven years ago. Consumer confidence remains high. Initial unemployment claims remained near historic lows in August. For a year and a half, these initial claims have remained under 300,000 – a streak we’ve not seen since 1970.

"We still have more work to do to ensure that more people get to share in the prosperity they help to create. Labor Day reminds us of the importance of all workers having a voice in the workplace. The American labor movement built the largest, strongest middle class in history. The fact that we even have a weekend is a direct result of workers organizing and speaking up together for shared prosperity. Those hard-won gains in wages and benefits raise standards across the economy, a critical ingredient for sustained growth.

"The Obama administration remains committed to helping workers fight for fairness in a dynamic economy, on Labor Day and every day. It’s how we build an economy that works for everyone.”