STATEMENT FROM AFPI PRESIDENT/CEO BROOKE ROLLINS ON APRIL JOBS REPORT
Today’s Employment Situation Report may come as a disappointment to the over 8 million Americans who remain out of work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the economy added just 266,000 jobs in April, far below expectations — and below what is necessary for a robust recovery.
The unprecedented strength of the pre-pandemic economy, the swift action of the federal government last spring with the CARES Act, and the history-making Operation Warp Speed set the stage for a full economic recovery. Yet this jobs report signals the economy is underperforming: April marks just the second month, since the pandemic recovery began nearly a year ago, in which the number of unemployed people increased. Ham-fisted federal intervention and worker disincentives, needless state and local restrictions on our citizens’ activities, and the destruction of good energy jobs over the past three and a half months are hindering what ought to be a swift and full recovery.
Washington, D.C., having inherited the promise of revival, has delivered a reality of stagnation.
An America-First economic policy requires putting American workers, families, and communities at the center of our decisions and priorities. The millions of Americans who remain unemployed, sidelined, and marginalized deserve no less. Sweeping, trillion-dollar proposals that seek to transform American society according to the vision of the ruling elites won’t achieve that — and never will. This disappointing jobs report illuminates that truth.