Employment rate remains unchanged

ATLANTA — There was more bad economic news Friday as employment continued to decline.

“Overall, employment declined by 131,000, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.5 percent,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said in a statement.

In July, the economy gained 71,000 jobs. This year, 630,000 private sector jobs have been created, which Solis called “steady growth.”

“While this private sector job growth is encouraging, the large number of Americans without a job reminds us we need to continue working to create jobs and grow the economy,” Solis said. “When President Obama came into office, he inherited an economy that was losing as many as 750,000 jobs each month. …

“Even as the economy makes progress, this administration is aware of how much further we still have to go,” Solis added. “That’s why the president and I are pushing Congress to pass legislation that will prevent local budget cuts and save thousands of teacher, police and firefighter jobs across the country. We know that economic prosperity and educational success go hand in hand. We must work to ensure that teachers across the country can stay in the classroom and that cops, firefighters and teachers stay on the job.

U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., said “Washington’s top priority should be finding responsible ways to encourage confidence and growth in the private sector.”

“Inexplicably, Democrats are still fully committed to a job-killing agenda of outrageous deficits, tax hikes on small businesses, and mounting uncertainty for employers and families,” Price said in a statement. “In fact, they’re so committed to this job-killing agenda that their Leadership is willing to drag Congress back into session next week to throw another $26 billion into their failed ‘stimulus’ boondoggle. Americans need jobs, not liberal pipedreams that punish hard work and entrepreneurship.

“Turning this economy around will take leadership and ideas that reflect the priorities of the American people,” Price added.