Fleischmann: Jobless numbers show weakness of stimulus

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., said today's unemployment report shows the weakness of the Democrats' stimulus plan adopted two years ago.

Although the U.S. jobless rate fell from 9.4 percent in December to 9 percent in January, unemployment has been at or above 9 percent for nearly two years.

"As the Obama Administration, and Democrats in Congress, continue to advocate for more spending and 'shovel-ready jobs,' the economic reports continue to show that their ideas of more spending simply are not working," Fleischmann said in a news release. "With only 36,000 jobs added to the work force in January, we have seen the lowest added jobs number in four months."

Labor experts said the job numbers last month were somewhat distorted by snowstorms during the period. But Fleischmann said the new Republican-controlled House is working to rein in spending to help limit deficits and put the economy on a more sustainable path.

"We can no longer keep our heads in the sand, and pretend a bigger federal government will fix this problem - it will not," he said.

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