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Job Creation Continues – More Than 7.4 Million Jobs Created Since August 2003
Today,
The Government Released New Jobs Figures – 111,000 Jobs Created In January.
Since August 2003,
more than 7.4 million jobs have been created − more jobs than the European Union
and Japan combined. Over half a million
jobs (513,000) have been added in the past three months alone. Our economy has
now added jobs for 41 straight months, and the unemployment rate remains low at
4.6 percent.
American
Workers Are Finding Jobs And Taking Home More
Pay
Real
Wages Rose 1.7 Percent In The Past 12 Months. This means an
extra $1,030 in the past 12 months for the typical family of four with two wage
earners.
Real
After-Tax Income Per Person Has Risen By 9.8 Percent – More Than $2,800 – Since
The President Took Office.
The
Economy Grew A Strong 3.5 Percent In The Fourth Quarter Of 2006.
The economy grew 3.4
percent last year, up from 3.1 percent in 2005.
Since
The First Quarter Of 2001, Productivity Had Strong Average Annual Growth Of 3.1
Percent. This is well ahead
of the average productivity growth in the 1990s, 1980s, and
1970s.
The
President's Agenda Will Help Keep Our Economy Flexible And Dynamic
America's
Economic Leadership Depends On Sensible, Pro-Growth Tax Policies.
To help bring our
economy out of a recession and recover from September 11th, the Administration
cut taxes on everyone who pays income taxes, doubled the child tax credit,
reduced the marriage penalty, cut taxes on small businesses, and cut taxes on
dividends and capital gains. The President asks Congress to help keep our
economy growing by making his tax relief permanent.
We
Must Spend Taxpayer Dollars Wisely To Keep The Economy Growing And Balance The
Budget. On February 5, the
President will submit a budget that will eliminate the deficit by 2012. To help
set spending priorities, the President will work with Congress to cut the number
and cost of all earmarks at least in half by the end of this session. He also
believes Congress should enact a legislative line-item veto to help the
legislative and executive branches work together to eliminate wasteful
spending.
This
Week, President Bush Delivered A Report On The State Of The U.S. Economy.
America is the undisputed
leader of today's global economy. The President discussed his agenda to keep
our economy competitive and make it more flexible and dynamic by:
Removing
Obstacles To Trade: The President has asked Congress to extend
Trade Promotion Authority, which allows the Administration to negotiate trade
deals, including the Doha Round. Breaking
down barriers to trade and investment opens up new markets for American
businesses, workers, and farmers, and results in lower prices, higher
productivity, and better American jobs. Reforming
Our Health Care System: President Bush has
proposed reforming the tax code with a standard deduction for health insurance
to make private health insurance affordable for more Americans. He has also
proposed Affordable Choices grants to give States the money and flexibility to
ensure the poor and the hard-to-insure get the private health insurance they
need. Diversifying
Our Energy Supply: The President has
set the goal of reducing projected U.S. gasoline usage by 20 percent
over the next 10 years to help diversify our energy supply and confront the
challenge of climate change. To reach this goal, he has proposed setting a
mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and
alternative fuels in 2017 and reforming and modernizing fuel standards for
cars as we did with light trucks. The President has
also proposed doubling the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
to 1.5 billion barrels by 2027.
Strengthening
Public Education: The government has
a responsibility to ensure our education system is preparing American workers to
compete in an economy that increasingly rewards skills and education. The
President asks Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act that is
getting results for our children and our economy. In addition, the President's
American Competitiveness Initiative seeks to improve math and science education
in middle and high schools.