Building America Remains Best Hope for Creating Jobs, Reversing Economy's Slide

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The latest jobs numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor show America's economy has ground to a halt, with no net job creation in August. This result was also reflected in the construction industry, which lost 5,000 jobs in the last month. Over 1.1 million construction workers cannot find a job, while many have given up entirely. The industry's unemployment rate was basically unchanged at 13.5 percent.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91600LOGO)

Terry O'Sullivan, General President of LIUNA, made the following statement:

With our economy stalled and threatening to dip back into recession, it's time for our leaders in Washington to quit playing politics and quit placing ideology ahead of our country's needs. It's time to create jobs, and the best way to do that quickly is to pass a strong Highway Bill that invests in our country's needs.

When Congress returns to work next week, less than one month will remain until the current extension of the Highway Bill expires. It is absolutely critical that this investment in our roads, bridges and workers be extended at current levels while negotiations on a long-term bill continue. Letting this investment decline or expire would be nothing short of a disaster for our country and a complete failure of political leadership.

In the long-run, we need to pass a Highway Bill that keeps men and women working, while preventing the crisis facing our transportation system from getting worse. The bipartisan bill proposed in the Senate does exactly that, and this fall LIUNA members will continue to tell elected officials to support it and reject a House GOP plan that locks in failure and puts over 600,000 jobs at risk.

We look forward to hearing President Obama's plan for job creation – clearly, we cannot wait any longer to get people working. But the White House can't do this alone. It's time for Congress to step up, to lead and help create jobs that will build our country and leave behind real assets for taxpayers and future generations.

The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers' International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.

SOURCE Laborers' International Union of North America