Sen. Carper Statement on October Jobs Report

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added 171,000 jobs in October: 

“Today’s jobs report provided us with some welcome news. The private sector added 184,000 jobs last month, leading to a net gain of 171,000 jobs for the month of October. Furthermore, the previous two months’ job totals were revised upward, underscoring the continued growth in job creation.  To date, our economy has enjoyed 32 consecutive months of private sector job creation, resulting in a total of 5.4 million jobs created during that time span. We still have a long way to go, with many of our friends and neighbors still out of work, but we’re continuing to make real progress toward recovering the millions of jobs lost in the wake of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  

“I am particularly encouraged that the manufacturing sector added 13,000 jobs last month. As I’ve said time and again, manufacturing has helped lead this recovery, and my hope is that the manufacturing sector will continue to help lead the way.  We should build on this momentum by working to strengthen the economic recovery by investing in a world-class workforce, in a modern transportation system, and in research and development that creates new technologies stamped ‘Made in America’ that can be commercialized and sold all over the world.

“That said, this encouraging jobs report comes at the tail end of a grueling presidential campaign. No matter who is elected president on November 6, Congress must embrace the spirit of bipartisanship to steer our economy in the right direction. Priority number one for both parties is working together before the end of the year to enact a bipartisan deficit reduction plan similar to the plan put forward by the Bowles-Simpson Fiscal Commission. 

“A bipartisan plan to get our nation’s fiscal house in order would lay the groundwork for future cooperation and begin to restore Washington’s credibility to address even bigger challenges in the future. This type of plan would also reform our complicated tax code to provide businesses with the certainty and predictability they need to ramp up hiring. 

“My friends in the House also have some important work to do. They must follow the lead of the Senate and pass a bill to reform the U.S. Postal Service – an industry that employs over 8 million people and generates $1 trillion in economic activity each year. Another important issue that the House should tackle is passing an extension of the Farm Bill. After a devastating drought this summer, this legislation is vital for the livelihoods of our farmers and growers who put food on the table for millions of Americans

“As we move toward a new year and a new Congress, we must come together to address the issues that matter most to the American people. I look forward to tackling these challenges in the coming weeks, and continuing my efforts to create a more nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation in Delaware and across the country.”