U.S. Secretary of Labor Releases Statement on July Employment Numbers
The statement comes from Thomas E. Perez
U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez released a statement regarding the July 2014 employment numbers, noting that July was the sixth consecutive month with job growth topping 200,000 and marked 53 months of private-sector job growth, which is the longest streak on record.
Perez also said businesses added 209,000 jobs in July, which amounts to a total of 9.9 million since February 2010. The unemployment rate came in at 6.2 percent, which he admitted was higher than the previous month but was lower than the number from a year ago. In July 2013, the unemployment rate was 7.3 percent.
"The sustained progress and continued momentum make me optimistic," said Perez in his statement. "However, many Americans, despite their best efforts, are still struggling to climb out of the hole created by the Great Recession. As our economy continues on its positive trajectory, we should use the momentum to enable more people to access ladders of opportunity."
Perez went on to mention the President and his role in the development of labor in the country, specifically his actions to sign the Fair Pay and Safe Workplace Executive Order, which requires companies competing for federal contracts to disclose labor law violations. Perez says this order will ensure a level playing field for those employers who play by the rules, and it will ensure taxpayer dollars aren’t spent to subsidize bad employment practices.