KENNEDY ON DECLINING JOB NUMBERS

WASHINGTON, DC— Today's jobs numbers show a loss of 17,000 jobs and an increase in the number of long-term unemployed Americans to 1.4 million. In addition, the time that unemployed Americans spent looking for a job rose sharply. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement: "As the economy continues to falter, working families continue to suffer. There are still 7.7 million unemployed Americans, and countless others are struggling to make ends meet with soaring costs and stagnant wages. Today’s numbers are clear proof we need immediate action to jumpstart our economy, and extending unemployment benefits is an indispensable part of that effort. It helps families in crisis, and gives a significant boost to the overall economy as well. I hope all my colleagues will join in supporting this urgently needed step to put our nation on the road to recovery.”