Sen. Carper Reacts to Better Than Expected October Jobs Numbers

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement on the October jobs report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: 

"Today we learned our economy added 151,000 jobs in October, and the private sector was leading the way yet again, marking 10 consecutive months of uninterrupted private sector job growth for 2010.  After losing over 8 million private sector jobs in 2008 and 2009, the private sector has started to recover, adding over 1 million jobs since the beginning of this year. While the national unemployment rate remained steady at 9.6 percent, the October jobs report–along with the September and August jobs reports which were revised to reflect additional growth–is encouraging in that it shows more Americans have confidence in the job market as they continue to actively seek employment.

"All of us would like to see jobs come back faster and in greater numbers, but the jobs numbers for October, September and August point out the continued growth of private payrolls in this country.  Recovery from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression will take time and will also require the proper policies to mend the deep wound that millions of Americans who lost their jobs have suffered.   The pain of job loss is real for millions of American families, and 9.6 percent national unemployment continues to remind me that our economy is still in a precarious state.  Yet today’s report shows that there is reason to be hopeful that our bipartisan efforts in Washington, including the Small Business Jobs bill that was passed in September, combined with the Federal Reserve’s recent actions will continue to push our economy in the right direction.  The government’s job is to provide a nurturing environment for job growth, and that includes providing certainty for businesses so they have the confidence to hire.  To that end, we must continue to support critical initiatives that spur job growth, from short-term solutions like the Small Business Jobs bill to long-term solutions, like investing in clean energy jobs, education and responsible tax relief for families and businesses.  We must also strive to avoid gridlock in Congress which exacerbates uncertainty for the private sector and will jeopardize our fragile recovery.

"As we conclude the 111^th Congress and commence the 112^th Congress, I will continue to work closely with the Obama Administration and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build on our efforts to put Delawareans and all Americans back to work and rebuild our economy."