Lankford: Progress is Good, Long Way to Go on Jobs

Statement

Congressman James Lankford (R-OK) said that today's job report shows positive progress in the economy but that the current jobs situation is still far from acceptable.

"I am grateful that today's report showed a glimmer of hope," said Congressman Lankford. "Seasonal work is going to provide much needed employment opportunities for people during the holiday period, and any progress is good news for the American people. While this is a positive step forward, we still have a long way to go. This report is a combination of 120,000 new and seasonal jobs partnered with 300,000 people who have given up looking for work and been dropped from the unemployment rolls. With the unemployment rate nearly a full point higher than it was when the stimulus passed in February 2009, we are going to need to bring back more than two million jobs lost since the President came into office. We must move from a government-centric approach to encouraging job creation through private sector entrepreneurship and innovation. The House has continued to pass job-creation bills this week that remove government barriers to growth. The Senate cannot continue to blame the House for not focusing on the economy, ignoring the twenty-five House passed bills that have been sitting at their door for months."

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