“They said America’s workers didn’t want to work”: a Labor Day statement by US Secretary of Labor Walsh

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on Labor Day 2022:

“On Labor Day we honor the achievements of America’s workers, and in 2022 we have a historic victory to celebrate. Our nation’s working people have come all the way back from the depths of a global pandemic, regaining every job lost and more.

“This milestone seemed impossible to reach on Labor Day two years ago. The pandemic was out of control. Millions of Americans were out of work, and economic forecasters said unemployment could remain elevated for years to come.

“Since President Biden took office, we’ve added 9.7 million jobs to the economy. The unemployment rate has dropped to 3.7 percent. This job growth has been broad and widely shared.

“The energy and the vision that inspires me this Labor Day comes directly from the working people who have pushed and scraped and muscled us back on course. The American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act – all historic milestones that will continue to transform work in our nation – show that we are working to sustain this momentum for the generations that follow.

“There were those who said America’s workers didn’t want to go back to work, but Labor Day is a reminder of how warped and defeatist that view of our nation is and always has been. We’ve shown how much we can overcome and how much we can achieve together.

“I wish everyone a joyous Labor Day, and I look forward to the work to come.”