Sen. Carper Statement on November 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 146,000 jobs in November: 

“Today’s jobs report underscores that, despite a momentous natural disaster and continued uncertainty over how to resolve the forthcoming ‘fiscal cliff,’ our economy continues to improve. The unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent last month, and we saw additional growth in the private sector of 147,000 jobs. These numbers, while not perfect, emphasize the need for our leaders in Washington not to hinder the momentum of our fragile recovery by stalling on a compromise to solve our year-end fiscal woes. We cannot afford to raise taxes on 98 percent of Americans’ income, nor can we fail to reach an agreement that reduces our deficit by trillions. These actions – or inactions – would inject additional uncertainty into our economy and, as many economists have noted, cause significant damage to sustained job growth. I have long said that our best jobs plan is a comprehensive deficit reduction plan, and I believe we can and must achieve one by the end of this year. Congressional leaders and the President should take from the blueprint provided by the Bowles-Simpson Commission and reach an agreement that is balanced, fair, and fiscally responsible. If they do that, I’m confident we can create a nurturing environment for even greater job creation by showing the world that we are still capable of solving big problems.”