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

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

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 850,000 jobs in the month of June, and the unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, compared to 5.8 percent in May. With a total of more than 3 million jobs since President Biden took office, this increasingly strong job growth reflects growing confidence among workers as more people get vaccinated and American Rescue Plan investments provide stability for families, businesses, and communities.

I’ve been seeing this progress firsthand as I travel around the United States encouraging people to get vaccinated and discussing their economic situation and job needs. Americans are going back to work in large numbers, but this is no time to let up. We are still down millions of jobs from pre-pandemic levels and the inequities heightened by the crisis persist. We need to be proactive in our policies to create good jobs and make sure all workers have access to those jobs.

So as we enter the Fourth of July weekend, there is cause for celebration. More of us can gather safely with friends and family again, confident that we are beating the virus, jobs are returning and under the President’s leadership the economy is growing faster than at any time in 40 years.”