On the recordSeptember 27, 2010
I have come to the floor today in support of the Creating American Jobs and Ending Offshoring Act, which I believe, as was well stated by the Senator from California, will go a long way towards promoting job creation in the private sector and leveling the playing field for American workers. In recent months, reports have shown that retail sales are up, hourly wages are rising, and household debt is at its lowest point in a decade. We have seen some particularly promising bright spots in Minnesota, where our manufacturing exports increased 19 percent in the second quarter to $4.3 billion. Minnesota also has one of the lower unemployment rates, 7 percent, compared to 9.6 percent nationally. But while the numbers are starting to point in the right direction, too many Minnesotans, and too many Americans are still out of work. As one of my constituents recently put it, "unemployment may be 7 percent in the rest of the state, but it's 100 percent in my house. That is what matters to me." He is not alone. Nationwide, there are still 15 million Americans out of work, and another 6.6 million who have joined the ranks of the long-term unemployed.
