WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta released the following statement on his meeting with Swiss government officials to discuss apprenticeships and workforce development models:

“The Trump administration is drawing from the successful apprenticeship models that many of our neighbors around the world, like Switzerland, have enjoyed,” said Secretary Acosta. “I look forward to continue working with our neighbors as businesses begin to expand quality apprenticeships in the United States. It’s critical American workers have the most up-to-date skills to compete in our global, ever accelerating economy.”

Secretary Acosta met with Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann – head of Switzerland’s Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research – and members of the Swiss delegation.

Thirty Swiss-headquartered companies have committed to expanding apprenticeships at their U.S. sites and subsidiaries. In recent months, Secretary Acosta has also met company leaders and apprentices at Mercuria, Mikron, and Zurich Insurance.

The secretary’s meeting reinforces the White House Office of American Innovation’s commitment to increasing the number of quality apprenticeships, including expansion into high-growth, emerging sectors where apprenticeships have historically been rare.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the September 2016 Employment Situation report released today:

“The American economy in September again continued its strong recovery from the greatest economic crisis of our lifetimes, adding 156,000 jobs. All told, the private sector has added 15.3 million jobs since February 2010; this month’s report continued the longest streak of overall job growth on record.

“This month’s report shows more people getting back to work and finding jobs. As more people moved into the labor force, the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 5.0 percent. The labor force participation rate in September rose to 62.9 percent. Over the last 12 months, more than three million more people have entered the workforce.  

“Other measures affirm the strength of the economy. Consumer confidence is now at the highest level we’ve seen during the recovery. Initial unemployment insurance claims remained near historic lows in September. For 83 consecutive weeks, these initial claims have remained under 300,000 – a streak we’ve not seen since 1970.

“Though I am encouraged by our continued progress, we have more work to do to ensure that everyone gets a chance to share in this recovery. Sensible policy recommendations such as expanding access to paid leave and raising the minimum wage are critical to sustained and shared economic growth. With just over 100 days left in this administration, we remain as committed as ever to building an economy that works for everyone.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the July 2016 Employment Situation report released today:

“With the addition of 255,000 jobs in July, American businesses have created a total of 15 million jobs since February 2010. This month’s report confirms that the Great Recession is indeed in the nation’s rearview mirror – the economy has added jobs for 70 consecutive months, the longest streak on record. The unemployment rate in July held steady at 4.9 percent, down from 10 percent during the depths of the recession. Wages have risen 2.6 percent over the year. All in all, the July report indicates widespread growth and a strong, balanced recovery.

“Just seven years since the auto industry was on life support, auto sales remain near record highs. We have seen 74 consecutive weeks of initial unemployment claims at or below 300,000 – the last time we saw a streak like that was December 1973. Consumer confidence is strong.

“While this sustained progress is encouraging, we have more work to do to ensure that everyone gets a chance to share in this recovery. We must raise the federal minimum wage so that no one who works full-time in America lives in poverty. We must expand access to paid leave so that people don’t have to choose between the job they need and the family they love. We must continue to invest in our most precious natural resource – our human capital – so that everyone gets the skills and training they need to compete.

With fewer than 200 days left in this administration, we remain as committed as ever to ensuring that the prosperity we’ve created in the last eight years is sustained and broadly shared.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today issued the following statement on the ongoing labor dispute involving Verizon workers.

“The parties involved in the Verizon labor dispute, including the senior leadership of the unions and the company and their bargaining teams, met today in Washington with Labor Secretary Tom Perez and Allison Beck, an experienced federal mediator who the parties agreed today would assist in the ongoing contract negotiations. Discussions will continue in Washington this week under the auspices of the Department of Labor. The parties further agreed that during these talks they will make no public statements, nor will there be comments from the federal officials involved. 

“I’m encouraged by the parties’ continued commitment to remain at the bargaining table and work toward a resolution,” Secretary Perez said. “We will continue to facilitate conversations to help the unions and the company reach an agreement.” 

“Access to a job in the summer and beyond can make all the difference to a young person – especially those who don’t have access to many resources and opportunities.”

- President Barack Obama

A young person’s first job brings more than just a steady paycheck – the experience teaches young people life and work skills that serve them long after the job is done.  Summer is a critical time for young people to get access to first jobs that can provide important skills, experiences and networks for their future. At the same time, summer opportunities have been shown to divert youth from criminal involvement and reduce overall violence in communities.  That is why, in February, the White House launched the Summer Opportunity Project to increase the number of young Americans participating in evidence-based summer opportunity programs, decrease the percentage of youth experiencing violence over the summer, and—more broadly—make sure that young Americans have the support they need to get their first job. This work builds on the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Task Force recommendation strengthening the case for summer youth employment and launching a cross-sector campaign to reduce summer learning loss and increase the number of job and internship opportunities for all young people.

Today, the White House and the Department of Labor are announcing new steps to advance that effort including the release of $21 million in Summer Jobs and Beyond grants to 11 communities to connect disadvantaged young people with jobs this summer and year-round. The White House is also launching 16 Summer Impact Hubs--communities that will receive robust, coordinated support from 16 federal agencies to expand and refine their summer jobs, learning, including exposure to local innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities, meals, and violence reduction programs.

These announcements are aimed at supporting a range of state and local leaders, community-based organizations, private sector leaders, philanthropic leaders, schools, other youth-serving agencies, and young people that are all coming together at the local level to ensure that our youth have productive, healthy summers that enhance their educational and career prospects.

Key Elements of Today’s Announcements include:

• $21 million in Grants to Connect Young Americans to Jobs in the summer and Year-Round. The Department of Labor is announcing that 11 communities across the country will receive a total of $21 million to launch and expand innovative approaches that provide young people with summer and year-round jobs and connect them to long-term career pathways. 
• Launch of 16 Summer Impact Hubs. The White House is announcing an inter-agency effort to provide tailored support to 16 communities to enhance jobs, learning, meals, and violence reduction programs for young people this summer and year-round and to ensure that these programs are well coordinated. Each Hub is paired with a Federal “Summer Ambassador” who will spend the spring and summer partnering with them to meet their locally-driven goals by leveraging Federal resources, breaking down agency siloes, and building new local, regional, and national partnerships.

More Details on Today’s Announcements

$21 million Summer Jobs and Beyond Grant Winners

Today, the Department of Labor is announcing 11 winners of Summer Jobs and Beyond Grants, which will provide summer and year‐round part‐time job opportunities for In School Youth and employment and work experience opportunities throughout the year for young people who are out of school and work, in addition to exposure to career pathways in in‐demand job sectors. Grants will focus on building out innovative strategies to help young people transition from summer jobs into year-round work and career pathways.  Winning grant projects are summarized below.

• Utica, NY: The New Americans Career Pathways project will provide in-school youth with summer jobs and academic support for 400 students in the refugee populations of Utica, NY.  The students will receive summer job work experience and academic tutoring in English and Math, and support in finding part- time jobs.
• Portland, OR: The Pathways to Sector Employment for Youth project in the City of Portland and Multnomah and Washington Counties will provide on-ramps to industry sectors for in-school and out-of-school youth resulting in entry-level jobs along career pathways in health care, IT, manufacturing and infrastructure. All students will take a course in four targeted industry sectors and participate in a paid summer work experience.
• Tribal counties in California, Illinois and Iowa: The Summer Youth Career Pathways Project will provide employment-related services to eligible Native American youth with limited work experience. The project aims to increase career readiness via online training courses that include digital skills, financial education, soft skills, career pathways, and workforce essentials. CIMC will work with thirty partners, including workforce agencies, human service agencies, local education agencies, employers, and community-based organizations.
• Milwaukee, WI: The Milwaukee Career Plus project aims to connect in-school and out-of-school youth to career readiness, summer employment, continued education, career services and year-round employment opportunities. Program staff will be placed in high schools to connect directly with students, and a partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools will help to identify non-attenders as soon as possible and engage them in support.
• Hartford, CT: The Promise Zone YES! project aims to transform and align youth-serving systems and enhance development services for 275 youth. Capital Workforce Partners will partner with the City of Hartford, Hartford Public Schools, Connecticut State Colleges & Universities, and two employers.
• Chicago, IL: Beyond Summer Jobs program will prepare youth and connect them to permanent, unsubsidized employment. The project will serve 300 youth including 240 who are out of school. Youth will begin the program in a summer job and then will participate in an extended paid work experience at one of ten employer partners.
• Santa Maria, CA: Santa Maria Summer Jobs & Beyond will serve 260 young adults by working with six partners to provide services while creating paid work experience opportunities, including summer and year-round employment that lead to skill building and postsecondary education pathways with coordination through the County of Santa Barbara Workforce Development Board.
• Detroit, MI: Grow Detroit’s Young Talent program will create summer employment and year-round work experiences for 1,000 disconnected youth and underserved populations, including Latino and Arab-American youth. The Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation will create a one-stop reengagement center for youth that will: provide case management, career planning and referral services; offer work experiences in high-demand industry sectors among other activities.
• Franklin Hampshire Region, MA: Franklin Hampshire Summer Jobs and Beyond project will target three of the most high-need and least-served communities in the western Massachusetts region with intensive outreach and services to youth. One-hundred-eighty in-school youth with little to no work experience will receive intensive services, including job placement and college readiness.
• Indianapolis, IN: Youth Works Indy program will enhance existing summer youth employment programs and expand work readiness skills training and work experiences for participants in high-poverty, high-crime Indianapolis neighborhoods. Youth Works Indy expects to enroll 834 youth, and place 364 in unsubsidized employment and 182 in post-secondary employment.  Indianapolis Private Industry Council, Inc. will partner with 5 summer employment programs, 4 local education agencies, 3 re-engagement centers, and 49 allied employers.
• Philadelphia, PA: PA CareerLink® Philadelphia: Youth & Young Adult Opportunity Hub (YOH/theHub) project will leverage partnerships with employers, universities, youth serving community organizations, and others to implement a multifaceted approach to providing youth with work experience opportunities that include summer and year-round part-time opportunities for in-school youth and exposure to in-demand job experience for out-of-school youth. The Hub will target 250 youth ages 16-24 in the Philadelphia area. 

Launch of 16 New Summer Impact Hubs

Over the last seven years, the Administration has been working to transform the Federal government into a more effective partner for local communities. Federal government leaders are working hand in hand with local stakeholders to craft solutions that harness resources across multiple agencies in response to local needs and priorities. Since 2009, more than fifteen Federal agencies have launched dozens of initiatives and partnerships with over 1,800 rural, tribal and urban communities. From Fresno to Detroit, Southeast Kentucky to Baltimore, Federal leaders are working across agency lines and offering hands-on support to build local capacity, provide expertise, and unlock resources to help community leaders achieve their goals. 

Building on that work, the White House and 16 federal agencies announce an effort today to provide tailored support from the Federal government to 16 Summer Impact Hubs to upgrade and expand their summer jobs, learning, meals, and violence reduction programs for young people this summer and year-round. These communities have each been paired with a Federal “Summer Ambassador” who will spend the spring and summer partnering with them to meet their locally-driven goals by leveraging existing Federal resources, breaking down agency siloes, and building new local and national partnerships. The Administration is also enlisting the targeted support of companies and philanthropy to create more opportunities for young people in these communities.

Federal agencies will support these efforts. For example, the Department of Agriculture is providing nutritious meals; the Department of Education is offering technical assistance though its Summer Opportunity iForums webinars; the Department of Treasury is offering information on financial education and account access; the Department of Health and Human Services will provide guidance on how cities can use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to support youth employment; the Department of Housing and Urban Development is enlisting the help of its network of 3,000 Public Housing Authorities to secure employment opportunities for more than 1,000  youth this summer.

In February, the President called on state and local leaders, community organizations, schools, and businesses to step up to connect young people to their first jobs and summer learning, meal, and violence reduction programs. If you would like to get involved in supporting a Summer Impact Hub click here.

This summer, the Administration will announce progress toward meeting the local Summer Impact Hub goals and organizations that have stepped up to support them at block parties across the country.  These events will engage youth, families, businesses, local innovators and entrepreneurs, and community leaders around making this summer active, healthy, safe and productive.  

Summer Impact Hubs

1. Baltimore, MD
2. Clarksdale, MS
3. Detroit, MI
4. Flint, MI
5. Gary, IN
6. Houston, TX
7. Indianapolis, IN
8. Jonesboro, AR
9. Los Angeles, CA
10. Memphis, TN
11. Newark, NJ
12. New Orleans, LA
13. Pine Bluff, AR
14. Pine Ridge, SD
15. St. Louis, MO
16. Washington, D.C

President’s $5.5 Billion FY 2017 Budget Proposal to Open Doors to A First Job

While our new efforts will be crucial to supporting more at-risk youth over the summer, reaching the scale needed to create job opportunities for all at-risk young Americans will require significant new investments at the federal level.

The President’s FY 2017 Budget proposes new investments – nearly double last year’s request – to connect more than 1 million young people to first jobs over the summer and year-round. It would also create a new $2 billion competitive grant program designed to connect at-risk and disconnected youth to educational and workforce pathways. DOL will work with Treasury to ensure that young people participating in these programs have access to safe and appropriate financial products and accounts. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today issued the following statement on the ongoing labor dispute involving Verizon workers.

“A few days ago, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez reached out to the parties in the ongoing labor dispute involving Verizon workers and invited them to meet with him in Washington in an effort to help the parties resolve a dispute that is affecting thousands of workers, their families, and the company.

Today, Secretary Perez met at the U.S. Labor Department with Lowell McAdam, chairman and CEO of Verizon; Chris Shelton, president of the Communications Workers of America; and Lonnie Stephenson, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The parties had an open, frank and constructive dialogue about finding a comprehensive way forward to resolve disputed issues and get people back to work. The parties agreed to return to the bargaining table on Tuesday to continue their discussion.

“The best way to resolve this labor dispute is at the bargaining table, and I am heartened by the parties’ mutual commitment to get back to immediate discussions and work toward a new contract,” said Secretary Perez. “I was singularly impressed by the parties’ appreciation that time is of the essence, and their strong commitment to use the collective bargaining process to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.”

Since the beginning of his Administration, President Obama has focused on creating an economy that works for every American. Under President Obama, our economy has added 14.4 million jobs over 73 straight months, the longest streak of job creation on record. The jobs available today, and the jobs of the future, are higher-skill jobs that require more education and advanced skills.

Job-driven apprenticeships are among the surest pathways to provide American workers from all backgrounds with the skills and knowledge they need to acquire good-paying jobs and grow the economy. In fact, 87 percent of apprentices are employed after completing their programs, with an average starting wage above $50,000. The return on investment for employers is also impressive — international studies suggest that for every dollar spent on apprenticeship, employers may get an average of $1.47 back in increased productivity, reduced waste and greater front-line innovation. As a result, the President has made expanding apprenticeship a priority for his Administration.

Since the President's 2014 State of the Union call to action, the U.S. has added more than 75,000 new apprenticeships, the largest increase in nearly a decade. And last year, the President signed into law the first-ever annual funding for apprenticeship in the Fiscal Year 2016 spending bill, following a bipartisan agreement based on the President’s budget request.

Today, the Department of Labor is announcing the Administration’s latest step to increase access to apprenticeship – using the $90 million provided in that spending bill for new investments through ApprenticeshipUSA to expand apprenticeship in the United States, including:

• $60 million to support state strategies to expand apprenticeship, including funding for regional industry partnerships and innovative strategies that diversify apprenticeship locally;
• $30 million to catalyze industry partnerships in fast-growing and high-tech industries, to support organizations focused on increasing diversity, and to launch national efforts to make it easier for employers to start and for workers to find apprenticeship opportunities.

Building on the bipartisan support for apprenticeship, the Department of Labor intends to make multi-year grants and contract awards to winning states, non-profits, workforce intermediaries, and industry associations subject to the availability of funding through the appropriations process using the $90 million provided through bipartisan support in the FY2016 spending bill for the first year of the awards.

Investing $60 Million to Support Smart State Strategies to Expand Apprenticeship

Today, the Department of Labor is announcing a first step in investing in state apprenticeship strategies.  Recognizing Governors’ unique ability to create smart statewide strategies to expand apprenticeship, the Department is making up to $9.5 million available for ApprenticeshipUSA State Accelerator Grants, for states to develop strategic plans and build partnerships for apprenticeship expansion and diversification.  States will also receive support to develop comprehensive game plans for encouraging businesses to launch apprenticeship programs in a variety of industries including advanced manufacturing, health care, IT, construction, and transportation.

These state accelerator grants will be followed this spring by a $50 million ApprenticeshipUSA State Expansion Grants Competition to scale-up state efforts to expand apprenticeship.  The expansion grants will help states integrate apprenticeship into their education and workforce systems; engage industry and other partners at scale to expand apprenticeship to new sectors and new populations; support state capacity to conduct outreach and work with employers to start new programs; provide support to promote greater inclusion and diversity in apprenticeship; and implement state innovations, incentives and system reforms.  By investing in state strategies for growing apprenticeship opportunities, these funds will help strengthen the foundation for the rapid and sustained expansion of quality apprenticeship nationwide. 

The ApprenticeshipUSA state investments build on the demonstrated success several states have already shown in expanding apprenticeship.  With the leadership of Governors across the country, 14 states have increased the number of apprentices in their state by over 20 percent – including: 

• Iowa, which tripled state funds to support apprenticeship across key industries
• California, which unlocked additional funds to cover training costs,
• Georgia, which brought together its workforce development and community college systems to partner with over thirty major employers on apprenticeship,
• Connecticut, which launched a Manufacturing Innovation Fund to support employers engaged in apprenticeship expansion.

Providing $30 Million for Industry Partnerships, Innovations to Enhance Diversity, and Access to Apprenticeship

Through ApprenticeshipUSA, the Department of Labor will also make investments to help more employers start or grow apprenticeship programs, particularly in high-growth and high-tech industries like health care, IT and advanced manufacturing where apprenticeship has not been as broadly adopted.  Through industry-driven partnerships, these investments will focus on leveraging collaborations with workforce development organizations, industry associations, labor groups, and training providers to help multiple employers at a time accelerate the expansion of apprenticeship nationwide.

Industry and training intermediaries can provide support for individual employers and entire industries as they seek to start or expand apprenticeship.  For example, through one such partnership, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and healthcare employers ranging from Pfizer to the Seattle Children's Hospital joined forces to create an industry-recognized apprenticeship preparing workers for careers in healthcare services and hospital IT, leveraging common industry-approved curriculum and training solutions. The Department of Labor’s investments will help spur similar collaborations across growing, high-skills industries.

Expanding Registered Apprenticeship also means opening up opportunities to traditionally underrepresented populations including women, minorities, and people with disabilities, tapping into the full range of America’s talent. While all of the ApprenticeshipUSA investments include a focus on making apprenticeships more inclusive, the Department of Labor, through ApprenticeshipUSA, will invest in strategies specifically focused on building pathways to apprenticeship, expanding recruiting and other strategies for attracting diverse participants, and in national innovations that promote greater access to apprenticeships for traditionally underrepresented groups. 

These national investments will complement investments made at the state level, ensuring that state strategies embrace diversity in apprenticeship. They will also support national efforts to engage community-based organizations, workforce intermediaries and other non-profits in the development and implementation of pathways to apprenticeship including pre-apprenticeship, supportive services, and youth apprenticeships. In addition, the Department of Labor will invest in national activities to increase access to apprenticeship including strategic marketing and outreach, technology improvements and innovations that make it easier for employers to start apprenticeships and for job-seekers to connect with apprenticeship opportunities.  

For more information on the timeline of additional investments and deadlines for proposals, please visit http://www.dol.gov/apprenticeship

Building on Success in Expanding Apprenticeship and Increase Access to Jobs-Driven Training

Today’s announcement builds on the Obama Administration’s previous efforts to increase access to apprenticeship and jobs-driven training to prepare workers for high-skill jobs available today, including:

• Investing an unprecedented $175 million in American Apprenticeship Grants.
  In September 2015, the Department of Labor announced $175 million in grants to 46 public-private partnerships between employers, organized labor, non-profits, local governments, and educational institutions that are expanding high-quality apprenticeships. The grantees are well on their way to creating and filling more than 34,000 new apprentices in high-growth and high-tech industries including health care, IT and advanced manufacturing over the next five years. 
• Highlighting the value of apprenticeships through LEADERS. More than 170 employers, colleges, and labor organizations have signed on to be ApprenticeshipUSA LEADERS (Leaders of Excellence in Apprenticeship Development, Education and Research) by starting or expanding their own work-based learning programs and encouraging their peers to follow. Together, employers in the LEADERS program have pledged to create nearly 20,000 new apprenticeship positions. 
• Expanding opportunities for apprentices to earn college credit towards a degree.
  More than 200 colleges nationwide have joined the Registered Apprenticeship-College Consortium, which allows graduates of Registered Apprenticeship programs to turn their on-the-job and classroom training into college credits toward an associate or bachelor degree.
• Directing training investments into job-driven strategies. Following the Vice President’s Job-Driven Training review, federal agencies have taken actions to make programs serving over 21 million Americans every year more effective and accountable for preparing Americans for good jobs that employers need to fill. These actions include ensuring training investments include essential elements that matter most for getting Americans into better jobs— such as strong employer engagement, work-based learning approaches like apprenticeship, better use of labor market information, and accountability for employment outcomes. More details on the Administration’s progress on Job-Driven Training can be found here.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about today’s sentencing of former Massey Energy Chief Executive Officer Donald Blankenship:

“This sentence proves that no mine operator is above the law, and should send a strong signal to unscrupulous employers that skirt safety rules. No prison sentence and no amount of money can bring back the 29 men who lost their lives at Upper Big Branch, but my sincere hope is that this sentence can offer some measure of closure for the families of those miners.

“That said this is a clear case of the punishment not fitting the crime. This sentence is the maximum allowable under the law, but regrettably, the criminal provisions of the Mine Act are far too weak to truly hold accountable those who put miners’ lives at risk. This administration continues to support efforts in Congress to strengthen those penalties, and we stand ready to work with members who believe that no worker should lose their life for a paycheck.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the February 2016 Employment Situation report released today:

“February’s report demonstrates the nation’s continued economic vitality, with the addition of 242,000 new jobs. The longest recorded streak of private-sector job growth now stands at six full years, 72 consecutive months, during which private employers have created 14.3 million jobs. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.9 percent, the first time it has been below 5 percent for two months in a row since the fall of 2007. The labor force participation rate and the employment-population ratio both edged up, with the latter reaching its highest level in nearly seven years.

“Other previously-reported economic indicators are encouraging as well. There are 5.6 million job openings as of the end of December – that’s the second most since we started collecting that data. Initial unemployment insurance claims haven’t been this consistently low in more than 42 years. In fact, for a full year now – 52 straight weeks – they have been at or under 300,000, compared to an average of more than 600,000 in early 2009.

“Also, it turns out the Affordable Care Act isn’t a job killer after all. The six years since the passage of this law have been six years of robust economic growth, at the same time that, according to new estimates, 20 million people have been able to get the health insurance coverage they need.

“But as much as we have done to climb our way out of the depths of the Great Recession, there are still challenges to meet, opportunity gaps to close, and inequalities to address. The rising tide is lifting the yachts, but too many of the smaller boats are still taking on water. Average hourly earnings declined in February; and despite modest growth of 2.2 percent over the last year, there is a lot of ground to make up. Wage growth remains the unfinished business of this recovery – and of the last four decades. Too many working families, despite working harder than ever, aren’t seeing the results in their paychecks and pocketbooks.

“The Obama Administration, despite little cooperation from the majority in Congress, is doing everything in our power to expand opportunity and create an economy that works for everyone. We continue fighting for investments in infrastructure, clean energy and education. We continue calling for an increase in the national minimum wage, while supporting states and localities that are raising their own wage floors. Our proposed Labor Department Fiscal Year 2017 budget includes, among many other things, smart investments in proven workforce development strategies like apprenticeship. It would provide stronger services and open doors of opportunity to laid-off workers, at-risk youth, veterans and others.

“We are both proud of how far the economy has come and eager to make continued progress. In the remaining 10-and-a-half months of this administration – the 322 days until ‘the weekend’ – we will do all we can to help all our people enjoy the fruits of this recovery, to create the shared prosperity America needs and deserves.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about the January 2016 Employment Situation report released today:

“The economy continued to recover in January, adding 151,000 jobs and extending the longest streak of private-sector job growth on record to 71 months. All told, 14 million private-sector jobs have been created since early 2010. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.9 percent, and initial unemployment insurance claims remain near historic lows, with 285,000 initial claims during the week ending January 30^th. Claims have been at or under 300,000 for 48 consecutive weeks, the first time that’s happened since December of 1973.

“We also see solid wage growth, with average hourly earnings for all private-sector employees increasing by 12 cents. January’s report indicates that the last six months have seen the fastest wage growth for all private-sector employees since the recovery began.

“Although this steady progress on employment and wages is encouraging, we still have more work to do to ensure that more people can share in the prosperity they are helping to create. We must continue to help people get the skills they need to enjoy the benefits of this recovery. That’s why the Department of Labor this week made available $20 million to connect young people to jobs and career pathways, focusing on communities that are contending with high youth unemployment rates, poverty and violent crime. Studies have shown that access to a job in the summer and beyond can make all the difference in the world to a young person who doesn’t have many other opportunities, or didn’t have the easiest start in life. The Labor Department recognizes that all of these young people are gifted and talented, and we must help draw out those unique skills and talents.

“Labor unions, meanwhile, remain a powerful force for shared prosperity, a fact confirmed once again by the release last week of the annual Bureau of Labor Statistics report on union membership. Median weekly earnings of full-time union workers ($975) were more than 25 percent higher than those of non-union workers ($776) in 2015. That amounts to more than $10,000 a year for hardworking Americans, and it puts upward pressure on wages and standards throughout the economy.

“Standing together and demanding a fairer economy, one where everyone earns a family-sustaining wage and gets a chance to punch their ticket to the middle class, is the unfinished business of this recovery. To keep us moving forward, we must reaffirm our commitment to investing in our people and their potential, and to making sure workers have a voice.”