Mr. Chairman, with these monthly hearings on the Employment situation we have thankfully been receiving excellent news each month. Even with the slight fluctuations, our economy is the envy of most of the rest of the world especially when it comes to the number of people here who are on a payroll because they are able to find jobs. It is a credit to this Administration that the employment of our citizens has been both a concern and a success.

     Yet while we celebrate the excellent figures, we still need to be concerned with the pockets of unemployment which still exist in this country, in both geographical and sociological terms. We must find out WHERE there are still problems with job creation, and WHO is still not able to get a job, even with this strong economy. It is this reason that I look forward to these monthly hearings where we can determine the answers to these questions.

     In New York City where my district is located, for example, we have had an unemployment rate almost twice the level of the national average. Certainly many of the new jobs have been created within the many industries which are based in New York, but somehow there are people who have not been able to take advantage of these growing industries. Our next step should be to determine how we can best get these people into the Labor Force.

     While the unemployment rate is still at its lowest point in over 24 years, the rate of job growth has slowed a bit in recent months. This takes on added concern when we consider that this month Welfare Reform officially takes effect. As each state implements its own version, we must find ways to understand the impact these programs have on the economy as a whole and employment in particular. I hope that the Labor Department will be able to take into account this new environment and be able to tell us the factor they will play in the unemployment picture in this country.

     Thank you Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to the testimony of the witness.

Return Home