WASHINGTON; News release — U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, WA-01, today highlighted new economic data showing jobs progress in Northwest Washington and called for Congressional action to accelerate the jobs recovery.
The latest unemployment numbers for April 2013 show unemployment at the lowest rates for the same month in the last four years in Island, King, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties.
“The jobs recovery in Northwest Washington is real, but it can be better,” Larsen said. “We are not yet back where we need to be and Congress can take actions that will accelerate the jobs recovery. The sequester’s automatic un-targeted spending cuts are dragging the economy down in the short term.”
“Congress should replace the sequester with a balanced deficit reduction plan,” Larsen said. “We must also focus on long-term economic growth by investing in our roads, bridges, highways, ports and transit systems. And we must make sure that young people can get the best new jobs by keeping college affordable through Pell Grants and low-cost student loans.”
“The slow, but steadily improving job numbers in Northwest Washington are encouraging and highlight the resilience of our local economy despite the gridlock in Congress,” DelBene said. “To ensure this fragile recovery continues, we must take actions that expand opportunity for working families and strengthen our nation’s ability to innovate and compete in a global economy.”
“Families and businesses in Washington State want bipartisan, responsible solutions to our country’s fiscal issues,” he said. “It’s time for our elected leaders from both sides of the aisle to set aside their ideological agendas, be open to compromise and come together to pass a budget that focuses on our core priorities of creating jobs, strengthening the middle class, growing the economy and responsibly reducing our deficit.”
Larsen attended a White House briefing with top economic advisers Tuesday to discuss the economic recovery and ways Congress can act to accelerate job creation.
