Posted July 8, 2011
June manufacturing jobs grow slightly
The unemployment rate rose slightly to 9.2 percent in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Manufacturers added 6,000 jobs during the month. Following gains totaling 164,000 between November 2010 and April 2011, employment in this industry has been flat for the past 2 months. In June, job gains in fabricated metal products (+8,000) were partially offset by a loss in wood products (-5,000).
Construction employment fell by 9,000 jobs in June. After having fallen sharply during the 2007-09 period, employment in construction has shown little movement on net since early 2010.
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) president and CEO Jay Timmons called the jobs numbers "troubling to manufacturers and families across this country." He said the uptick in unemployment is a stark reminder that we need pro-growth policies from the administration and Congress.
"While there is debate on how to reverse this trend, one thing is certain: imposing tax increases on job producers, as some in Washington are suggesting, will set back the economy, as will additional regulations that drive up the cost of doing business in the United States. Rather, we need tax, energy and regulatory policies that will create certainty for manufacturers so that they can hire, innovate and compete in the international marketplace," Timmons said.
