Press Releases

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL) released the following statement today after the United States Department of Labor announced that the economy added 157,000 jobs and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 7.9 percent in January.

“Today’s jobs numbers should send an important message to Congress: Unemployment is still an emergency in America.

While President Obama’s smart and sensible policies have spurred an increase in private sector hiring for 35 consecutive months, the Congressional majority’s insistence on cutting vital public services—including education, research, and healthcare—has created uncertainty in financial markets and stalled our economic recovery.

It’s time for my fellow Members of Congress to step up and do what the American people elected them to do: Create quality jobs. I urge Congress to pass the Jobs Now Act, which I sponsored in the last Congress, as a targeted program designed to train people for 21^st Century careers and get people back to work right away. I likewise urge Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, President Obama’s comprehensive and fiscally-responsible plan to put America back to work. I call on my Republican colleagues to seize this opportunity to do what’s right for the American people," said Congresswoman Wilson.

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Congresswoman Wilson is available for comment.

U.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson is a second-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.