King: Numbers in this Report Are Not Just Numbers

Washington, DC- Congressman Steve King released the following statement today in response to the U.S. Department of Labor's August jobs report. The report states that the national unemployment rate is 8.1 percent, a number that has been above 8 percent for 43 straight months. Only 96,000 jobs were created and nearly 370,000 more Americans gave up looking for work last month.

"Today's jobs report reflects our nation's stagnant economy, and with the policies of President Obama in place we can expect to see more of the same," said King. "When the stimulus was signed into law, his administration claimed unemployment would be less than 5.5 percent today. His tax-and-spend, Keynesianism-on-steroids policies have failed, and this report shows that the President does not know how to handle this great challenge facing our nation.

The numbers in this report are not just numbers- they represent our neighbors, family and friends in Iowa and around the country who are struggling to find work, or have given up hope altogether. With more and more Americans giving up on looking for a job, our time for solving these problems is closing in. I knew when I started my business that government does not create jobs, but it can help to foster an environment for growth and development in our economy.   We stand at a crossroads- we can choose more burdensome regulations and an unstable economy, or we can choose solutions that will reenergize Americans and get them back to work."