JEC News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chairman of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that nonfarm payroll employment increased by 275,000 in February and the unemployment rate ticked up to 3.9%.

The unemployment rate was 5.6% for Black workers, 5.0% for Hispanic workers, 3.4% for white workers, 3.4% for Asian workers, and 6.6% (not seasonally adjusted) for American Indian and Alaska Native workers.

“Our economy continues to grow, with 275,000 jobs added in February and nearly 15 million jobs created so far under President Biden. We’ve now seen 37 consecutive months of job growth under this administration and wages are up, especially for low- and middle-income workers. The U.S. economy remains the strongest in the world.

“Last night, we heard from President Biden more about his plans to build upon this administration’s economic successes and further strengthen our economy. While we’re still facing systemic challenges, including rising housing and childcare costs, I was especially encouraged by the new initiatives the White House is proposing to ease costs for first-time home buyers and make housing more attainable for more people. I’ll keep fighting for the middle class to make sure the economy in New Mexico and across the country works for everybody, not just the wealthy.”