Republican presidential hopefuls are sounding off on May’s dismal job growth report, in which unemployment jumped to 9.1 percent and only 54,000 jobs were created. Spoiler alert: They’re not pleased with Obama’s progress.
The White House also released a statement, saying, “There are always bumps on the road to recovery, but the overall trajectory of the economy has improved dramatically over the past two years.” It also stressed “not to read too much into any one monthly report.”
Mitt Romney: “Today’s unemployment numbers show that we are going backwards, and that is the wrong direction for America. President Obama’s policies made the recession worse and as a result more people are out of work. These unemployment numbers should not be viewed as just statistics – these are real families facing significant economic peril because President Obama has failed to pull us out of this economic downturn. Americans deserve a president who will make job creation his number one priority.”
Jon Huntsman: “Today’s report showing a rising unemployment rate and staggeringly little job creation further demonstrates that this country is in need of policies that will actually grow jobs. As governor of Utah – while our country faded into recession – we created an environment that brought jobs to the state without resorting to out of control spending and debt. It is time for America to do the same, putting an end to the suffering of millions of Americans who are struggling to find economic opportunity.”
Herman Cain: “While this administration promised job creation and an unemployment rate under 8 percent with the passage of the stimulus spending packages, based upon today’s unemployment report, the unemployment rate still hovers around 9 percent. We have yet to see the positive results from the billions of taxpayer dollars spent in that process.
“Wednesday’s jobs figure shows only 38,000 new private sector jobs were created, a number significantly less than the projected 177,000 in previous forecasts. Experience has taught me that government cannot create jobs. Instead, government is responsible for creating a favorable environment for businesses to thrive and succeed.
“If we are to fix this problem,we must focus our efforts on increasing access to capital and availability of new markets, adjusting unfavorable regulations for corporations and, in many instances, retooling and retraining our workforce.”
Newt Gingrich: “Once again, weak job creation and an increase in unemployment to 9.1% is further evidence that the Administration’s policies are falling and the Obama recession could become much worse. America cannot wait, we must take immediate steps to put America back on the path of economic growth and job creation.”
“This report is also a reminder that while the news media is focused on trivia, too many Americans are in pain. America only works if Americans are working. The CNN/WMUR/Union Leader June 13th Republican debate in New Hampshire must focus on job creation because that is the most important topic for America right now.”
Gingrich also called on every GOP candidate participating in the June 13th debate to come ready with a specific plan to create jobs.
Ron Paul: “If the latest job numbers are any further indication, none of the centralized schemes deployed by Washington’s elites are helping regular Americans. As a matter of fact, Barack Obama and the big government crowd are destroying our economy, and our dollar.
“Despite the fact that none of the past nearly trillion-dollar economic stimuli have worked, all signs point to the Federal Reserve gearing up for another round of ‘quantitative easing’ – meaning more destruction of the already-weakened dollar. At the same time, we have an official Washington that refuses to acknowledge the looming fiscal crisis our country faces with regards to our debt and continues to spend with no end in sight.
“We are going to see real suffering in this country if we do not balance our budget and restore sound monetary policy. And we need to do it now.”
Tim Pawlenty: “Today’s underwhelming job numbers report demonstrates President Obama’s failure to address the tough challenges we face as a nation. We need a leader to stand up and make the difficult choices essential to spur economic growth and create new jobs. It’s clear that serious changes must be implemented to get our economy back on the right track, and I would not shy away from the challenge. By owning up to the hard truths we face, addressing them, and then enacting an aggressive growth plan, we can create jobs and secure a brighter future for America.”
Rick Santorum: “This morning’s disappointing jobs report is just another stark reminder of this Administration’s failure to believe in the American people and their entrepreneurial spirit. Rather than empowering people and the free market to drive our economy, President Obama has instead decided to focus on the heavy hand of government. As history has shown, government intervention and infusion may spur minimal short-term growth, but over the long haul those policies do nothing but explode our deficit and take freedom away from the American people. That is not what our Founders intended, that is not how we put people back to work, and that is not what is best for the future of our country.”