Rep. Andy Harris Statement On Dismal August Unemployment Report

Rep. Andy Harris released the following statement regarding the Department of Labor’s unemployment report for August 2012:

“When the President passed his nearly trillion dollar Stimulus bill in 2009 he promised that unemployment would be around 5.5 percent this month. Instead, unemployment has remained above 8 percent for 43 consecutive months. The President’s failed economic policies have left 23 million Americans unemployed, underemployed or not looking for work. The number of Americans participating in the labor force is at a 30 year low. The amount of Americans who have given up looking for a job once again exceeded the number of new jobs, which can't even keep up with population growth. For every new job that was created last month four people gave up looking for work."

“That is why the House voted to stop President Obama’s tax hike proposal on small business owners and the middle class, which would destroy over 700,000 jobs. We need the President and the Senate to work with House Republicans instead of continuing to promote job-destroying policies that the American people can no longer afford.”