Washington, D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, issued the following statement after the Labor Department released its December jobs report showing that nonfarm payroll employment increased by 216,000:
“2023 was a great year for American workers as the December jobs report brings the total number of jobs created last year to 2.7 million. Last year, our economy continued to grow, bringing the total jobs created under the Biden administration to over 14 million. The record strength of the labor market was made possible by investments that Democrats passed through landmark legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the CHIPs and Science Act. Thanks to these efforts, the unemployment rate remains near historic lows, and wage growth is outpacing falling inflation. Despite predictions of a recession throughout 2023, these numbers make clear that we are getting closer to our goal of achieving a soft landing for our economy.
“As Congress prepares to return to Washington, Democrats are focused on building on this momentum. Unfortunately, the dysfunctional Republican majority in the House is intent on pursuing tax cuts for billionaires and cutting vital government programs like Social Security and Medicare. With critical government funding deadlines weeks away, the GOP is also continuing to put the economy at risk through their brinkmanship around funding the government. Republicans must stop with the political games and join Democrats in our efforts to continue to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.”
