WASHINGTON, DC—Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today released the following statement on the Department of Labor report showing 216,000 jobs were added to the economy and the unemployment rate fell to 8.8 percent in March. With 230,000 jobs added by private businesses, this marks the 13th consecutive month of private sector job growth:

“The March job numbers show the recovery is moving along, building on growth established by the Recovery Act and other Democratic policies, but growth is slower than any of us would like. Unemployment has continued to fall over the last four months but too many people are still looking for work and struggling to make ends meet.

“Republicans have spent 13 weeks in the majority and still have not brought a jobs bill to the floor. Yet they are pushing a budget plan that most economists believe would cut 700,000 jobs and significantly damage a fragile economy that is on the mend. Rather than threatening to shut down the government, cut the budget to the point of recession, repeal health reform and attack Planned Parenthood, we should be focused in Congress on creating jobs and strengthening the economy. ”