Black Unemployment Update: Lee Wants to Extend Benefits

ATLANTA, Feb. 6, 2011, 10 a.m. - Rep. Barbara Lee is calling for Congress to fund relief for the long-term unemployed, in reaction to last week's unemployment numbers.

"The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Expansion Act, would ensure that these long-term unemployed workers get the long overdue assistance that they need to support their families, make ends meet and contribute to our economy," said Lee. "Our bill would add 14 weeks of emergency unemployment benefits and would make sure these benefits are retroactively available to people who have exhausted all their benefits and are still unemployed."

 

The California Democrat issued this call after the jobs report showed that the nation's unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent in January, down from 9.4 percent the month before. There are nearly 14 million unemployed.

What's more, the department's report indicates black unemployment is at 15.7 percent. The rate is down from 15.8 percent last month and 16 percent in November. The highest rate, since President Obama took office, was 16.3 percent in August.  

  

"The report also shows that unemployment rates for certain groups - like women and African Americans - have seen very little improvement," Lee said. "In the face of the report, we must redouble our efforts to create jobs and ensure that people are trained and ready to fill those jobs successfully."

Cummings Recognizes Continued Economic Growth

Rep, Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and senior member of the Joint Economic Committee, released a statement, following the Bureau of Labor Statistics Report that the unemployment rate fell to 9 percent in the month of January.

 

"Though the incredible stretch of inclement weather hampered hiring last month, the private sector added jobs again," said Cummings. "It has been a year now that private companies in our nation have been putting Americans back to work, thanks to the tax credits and other incentives we passed in the 111th Congress. I hope that my colleagues who are currently in the Majority will see this continued improvement and help bring this Congress together to pass more of these job-creating policies.