WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King issued the following statement today after the Department of Labor announced that the economy added only 113,000 jobs in January while the unemployment rate fell to 6.6 percent:

“When taken together, the December and January jobs reports represent the two weakest consecutive months of job growth in almost two years, further underscoring the point that Congress should do more to help foster an environment that is ripe for job creation. Economists estimate that we need to be creating at least 200,000 jobs per month to be on track to return to pre-recession employment levels, and these recent jobs reports suggest we are still far from reaching that goal.

“There are steps that Congress could – and should – take right now to help do that, including renewing the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which would deliver immediate financial relief to job-seekers. Long-term unemployment remains at the highest rate since World War II, and this program is an essential lifeline to millions of Americans as they seek to move back into the labor force. Congress should also focus greater attention on examining the underlying and persistent programs behind our nation’s long-term unemployment. In fact, the Workforce Investment Act, which is long overdue for reauthorization and was reported out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee by a strong bipartisan vote last year, invests heavily in job training programs that could go a long way in helping to provide people with the education and skills needed to compete in today’s job market.

“Congress should also look at regulatory reform as yet another way to help cultivate a climate more conducive to economic growth. Regulations are important and play a vital role in keeping people safe, but we must also ensure they are targeted, effective, and not overly-burdensome for businesses. That’s why I introduced the Regulatory Improvement Act with Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, which would create an independent commission to identify outdated and ineffective regulations and recommend them to Congress for elimination.

“The fact is that Congress far too often allows politics and partisanship to obscure a path forward on measures that are desperately needed to improve our economy. Abandoning ideological entrenchments and finding common ground are the best steps we could take to address the serious issues confronting Congress and our nation.”

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