We are seeing a few positive signs in the economy, largely due to the President's recovery package.  But our labor market remains weak, and America's workers are still paying a heavy toll in ongoing job losses, reduced hours, and mediocre job prospects.  Unemployment held steady last month at 9.7 percent with 36,000 jobs lost during February.

Over 6 million workers have been looking for employment for 6 months or more and Latinos, African Americans and young people continue to be hit hardest by double-digit joblessness.

We have a long way to go -- just to get our nation back to the pre- recession unemployment rate. While Senator Bunning has thankfully ceased his one-man wrecking crew, the $15 billion jobs bill signed into law is not nearly enough to close the enormous jobs gap we face. 

We need massive investment in good jobs, and we need it soon – including extending the unemployment lifeline, investing in our nation's infrastructure, funding for state and local governments for vital services, direct job creation in distressed communities and lending to small businesses through community banks.

Even now, as tens of millions of Americans are looking for jobs or are stuck in part-time work, Wall Street is back to business as usual.  The big banks are refusing to modify home mortgages – and refusing to lend money to families and small businesses.  Meanwhile they increased their bonus pools to record levels in 2009.

The AFL-CIO is moving an aggressive plan to push for new jobs, calling on Congress and the Obama administration to take five immediate steps to address the jobs crisis.  We're launching a week of nationwide actions March 15 to call out Wall Street, the Big Bankers and the corporations that take the public's money and use it to line their own pockets while they downsize and outsource jobs. Our message: Hard- working Americans need jobs. It's time to pay up.

Contact: Amaya Tune or Josh Goldstein (202) 637-5018