The number of new jobs being created in this country seem as stagnant as the July summer heat, and it looks like there’s not much relief in sight.

For 41 straight months now, the national unemployment rate has stayed at or above 8 percent. 

The unemployment rate for Alabama sits at 7.4 percent for May which is a tick up from April’s 7.2 percent.

These numbers continue to show us that our economy is still struggling and has made little if any improvement.
 Let’s dig deeper though.

According to a July 6th CNN report, out of America’s unemployed population, 41.9 percent of our fellow citizens have been unemployed for six months or more.

That means these folks haven’t worked a day since January of 2012 or before.

The Weekly Standard on July 6th reported the unemployment rate for Hispanic Americans is stuck at 11 percent and Business Insider on the same day said the unemployment rate for African Americans sits at over 14 percent.

It’s all unacceptable. Of particular concern to me is the number of people looking for work for six months or more. People who have been out of work longer find it even harder to find a job, and many times just give up. This is one of the real tragedies of this economy.

Up in Washington, there’s a lot of talk about taxes and how they impact our economy. For example, the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare, which if not repealed will increase taxes for many Americans.

Just last week, as you may have seen, the House voted once again to repeal Obamacare, but that legislation will just suffer the same fate as more than 30 jobs bills passed in the House of Representatives and sent to the U.S. Senate to die.

There is also debate about extending all the current tax rates, which I support. Allowing taxes for everyone to go up at the end of the year, as President Obama and many Congressional Democrats are proposing, is not in any working family’s interests.

Adding this tax hike will further damage our weak economy and make good paying jobs even harder to come by.

All Alabamians have been hurt by this terrible economy, some far more than others. I hope Congress will get serious about helping create and keep good jobs for folks across East Alabama and the nation and set aside politics to get things done. 

As always, please contact me on this or any issue by visiting my website at www.mike-rogers.house.gov, become a fan on Facebook at Congressman Mike D. Rogers, follow me on Twitter at RepMikeRogersAL and subscribe to my YouTube page at MikeRogersAL03.