Neal Statement on the April 2020 Jobs Report
Springfield, MA,
May 8, 2020
SPRINGFIELD, MA – House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics April 2020 jobs report which shows the unemployment rate rose to 14.7 percent: “This is the first monthly jobs report that really reflects the toll the COVID-19 pandemic is taking on our workers and the economy. Clearly, more action must be taken to support the millions who are struggling to get by during this crisis. However, any further financial assistance Congress provides must be coupled with robust measures to address the persistent public health emergency. Our economy will not truly begin to recover until Americans feel safe. The first step in achieving that is more testing. If people who want to be tested cannot access a test – which is indisputably, currently the case – widely reopening the nation again simply is not a viable option. Defeating the virus and meeting our country’s public health needs are essential to resuming regular life in the United States.” ### |