[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 186 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2515-E2516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRESS MUST RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 6, 2007

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address a problem of 
growing importance: the problem of long-term unemployment.
  I recently received a letter from a constituent, who urged me to 
speak out on behalf of workers unable to find appropriate jobs at 
living wages, who are being excluded from productive participation in 
the workforce. She called for Congressional action.
  Jean SmilingCoyote of Chicago wrote, ``When unemployed Americans run 
out of unemployment compensation, they are counted neither as 
unemployed nor as part of the labor force. . . . We need to take pro-
active steps to end long-term unemployment of Americans. The first step 
is to have these people identify themselves and what they can 
contribute economically. We have to persuade employers to hire them for 
appropriate jobs at living wages, starting with people who've gotten a 
good education and stayed out of trouble.''

[[Page E2516]]

  We need to adopt measurements that accurately count the number of 
unemployed and policies that help create good jobs in the private and 
public sectors. I hope that we will make this a priority in the 110th 
Congress.

                          ____________________