Statement by US Secretary of Labor Walsh on the May Jobs Report

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the May 2021 Employment Situation Report:

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 559,000 jobs in the month of May, and the unemployment rate was 5.8 percent, down from 6.1 percent in April to the lowest point it has been since March of 2020. This data reflects solid continuing job growth and strong evidence that our efforts through the American Rescue Plan to vaccinate Americans and support families, small businesses, schools and childcare providers are working to reopen and rebuild our economy.

“These numbers match what I’ve seen and heard as I travel around the country talking to workers. From early educators in Tennessee, to power plant workers in Wisconsin, to steel fabricators and home health aides in Pennsylvania: working people across America are eager to work, support their families and strengthen their communities.

“But workers also told me about the challenges they and their families face – finding affordable childcare, caring for elderly parents and grandparents, and overcoming the hurdles raised by decades of income inequality and race- and gender-based inequity. These challenges are also reflected in our jobs data, and they are why the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan are so important. We need to invest in our workforce and our communities to achieve an inclusive recovery and a competitive economy.”