Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the unemployment rate fell from 8.9 percent to 8.8 percent, adding 216,000 jobs in the month of March: 

“I am pleased to see that our nation’s unemployment has dropped to 8.8 percent and more than 200,000 jobs were added in March.  However, the report also indicated that the unemployment rate in the black community sits at 15.5 percent and the unemployment rate in the Hispanic community sits at 11.3 percent.  This is an indication that while our nation is moving out of this economic downturn, we still have a long way to go in ensuring that our entire nation begins to fully recover.

“This is why it is imperative that Congress focus on polices and legislation that foster job creation.  Unfortunately, this Republican led Congress has placed job creation and the middle class on the back burner.  This Congress has been in session for 13 weeks now and still no jobs bill has come to the House Floor.  Republicans continue to bear down their relentless assault on programs that create jobs, provides access healthcare benefits for women and eliminate programs that help our housing market. 

“We need to make sure that this Congress creates a holistic jobs plan that will address community needs as well as provide our middle class the resources they need to obtain the American Dream.  Know that I will continue to fight to create more jobs so that our nation can continue to prosper.”

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