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WASHINGTON– Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the February jobs report, showing the U.S. economy shed 92,000 jobs and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4 percent:
 

“The February jobs report stands as the latest piece of evidence that the Trump economy is failing working families. Last month, the American economy shed nearly 100,000 jobs, unemployment is up, and we’ve now lost jobs in five of the last nine months. Meanwhile prices continue to rise, and Trump’s reckless tariff agenda is creating chaos for small and large businesses alike.

“Trump's economic agenda is making it harder for everyday Americans and small businesses to get ahead. Black unemployment jumped back up to 7.7 percent. College-educated workers are facing the highest unemployment rate since 2014, outside the pandemic. Industries this president promised to protect like manufacturing and construction both cut jobs last month. Small firms are frozen in place, unable to plan or hire amid constant tariff threats and regulatory chaos.

“Republicans have stood by while Trump's tariffs, immigration crackdowns, and budget cuts drag this economy down. Democrats will keep fighting to protect working families and small businesses from policies that are clearly not working.”

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