Statement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Acosta on President Trump’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta issued the following statement regarding President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union Address:

“President Trump’s State of the Union address clearly showed that America’s workers are at the heart of his administration. Tonight, our nation’s leaders came together and heard a unifying message full of proposals that will continue the success that the American workforce has experienced throughout the first two years of the Trump Administration.

“For nine straight months, there have been more open jobs than job seekers; for 11 straight months, the unemployment rate has been 4.0% or lower; and each of the last 16 straight months we have tallied more than 100,000 jobs, including 304,000 jobs last month. With more than 5.3 million jobs created since November 2016, the President’s policies resulted in broad optimism across industries.

“Building on the successes of the past two years involves encouraging private sector investment into the workforce, such as the more than six million Americans benefiting from the work of the National Council for the American Worker, as well as supporting and expanding the scope of successful skills-based workforce education like apprenticeships. These investments lead to a skilled workforce that will help our nation reach the President’s goals, including rebuilding America’s infrastructure. 

“In support of the President’s policies outlined tonight, the Department of Labor will continue to protect the health and safety of American workers while proposing commonsense regulation that will lead to even more family-sustaining career opportunities.”