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OPA News Release: [06/09/2005]
Contact Name:
Dirk Fillpot
or Mike Biddle
Phone Number:
202-693-4676
Release Number: 05-1027-NAT
U.S. Secretary of Labor Chao: Workforce Investment
Vital to Maintaining High Standards of Living
GENEVA, Switzerland — U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today highlighted
the vital link between workforce investment and maintaining high standards
of living at the 93rd Session of the International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. She also denounced human trafficking worldwide and emphasized
President George W. Bush's efforts to prosecute human traffickers and rescue
the victims of this pernicious crime.
“The United States believes that the best way to create jobs is to encourage
the conditions that foster growth, encourage innovation and help workers
invest in new skills,” said Secretary Chao.
Outlining the Bush Administration's commitment to workforce investment,
Chao observed: “The United States devotes considerable resources to continually
improve training for its workforce to help ensure that American workers
maintain a high standard of living. President George W. Bush's High Growth
Job Training Initiative identifies the emerging growth sectors of our
economy and helps workers get the training they need to take advantage
of these opportunities. As a result of these and other policies, the United
States has one of the highest growth rates of the major industrialized
nations, creating 3.5 million new jobs since May 2003.”
The unemployment rate in America is 5.1 percent, which is lower than
average unemployment in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The American economy
experienced a four percent growth in jobs last year.
Secretary Chao also highlighted President George W. Bush's commitment
to fight human trafficking worldwide.
“Human traffickers are exploiting and abusing hundreds of thousands of
people each year who seek better lives for themselves and their families.
To help combat the problem of forced labor, the U.S. Department of Labor
has provided more than $125 million to support international efforts to
combat trafficking in persons and has launched projects to combat this
practice in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean and
Europe,” said Secretary Chao.
“The U.S. government has developed and is deploying a wide range of resources
to identify and prosecute traffickers and rescue and rehabilitate their
victims,” Chao continued. “And the United States has put sex traffickers
on notice that we will not only prosecute them, but we will prosecute
American citizens who take advantage of their services by going abroad
to commit crimes against children.”
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