WASHINGTON (Nov. 13, 2008)—House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (Md.-5th) released the following statement today after the Department of Labor reported that jobless claims increased last week to 516,000, the highest level since the terrorist attacks of 9/11:
“Today’s report from the Labor Department confirms that this recession is threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans. The number of new unemployment claims just reached its highest level since 9/11, while the number of individuals continuing to seek unemployment benefits has reached 3.9 million, the highest total since 1983. It is essential that Washington take quick action to get Americans back to work.
“Congress has a recovery plan to create jobs with infrastructure projects, ensure that laid-off workers will still have access to healthcare, and extend unemployment insurance. These programs do not simply help those who are hurting most in this recession—economists agree that they are some of the most efficient ways to stimulate our economy as a whole. Americans losing their jobs every day cannot wait for the next administration to take action. We urge President Bush and our Republican colleagues to work with us immediately to begin rebuilding our economy.”