Statement by US Secretary of Labor Walsh on June Jobs Report

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the June 2022 Employment Situation Report:

“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 372,000 jobs in the month of June, and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent for the fourth consecutive month. Since President Biden took office America has added over nine million jobs, and the private sector economy has now more than fully recovered from its pandemic-era job losses – a major milestone that reflects both the success of the administration’s economic policies and the profound resilience of America’s businesses and workers.

“Building on the historically strong recovery made possible by the American Rescue Plan, the economy is transitioning into steady, stable job growth that benefits America’s workers. Unemployment remains low and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing billions of dollars into communities and creating good jobs all across the country. In addition, the manufacturing sector is now fully recovered and the hard-hit childcare services and nursing and residential care sectors are growing. This economy is working for working families.

"Many of the workers most adversely affected by the pandemic – particularly women, people of color, people with disabilities, lower-wage workers and workers from other historically marginalized communities – are benefitting from this recovery through higher wages and more job opportunities. However, they still face barriers to finding quality jobs. The Department of Labor is directly addressing these longstanding inequities via its Good Jobs Initiative, including through the expansion of equity-focused workforce development. This week the department awarded nearly $122 million in Apprenticeship Building America grants to programs across the country that provide diverse workers with new skills and guaranteed pathways into good, in-demand jobs. We also announced up to $140 million in funding available through Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy and Training grants to provide jobs and employment training and services for America’s unemployed and underemployed workers. We are committed to empowering all workers morning, noon and night to take advantage of this strong economy and achieve equitable pathways into the middle class.”