[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 117 (Thursday, July 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               JOB GROWTH

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on one final matter, the evidence 
keeps mounting that with Republicans at the helm in the White House, 
the House, and the Senate, the American people are enjoying what 
amounts to the most pro-worker, pro-opportunity economic moment in 
recent history.
  Already in 2018, the number of Americans who say it is a good time to 
find a quality job has risen to its highest level in at least 17 years 
of data on record. The jobs report released last week showed, in June, 
that the rate of hire throughout the United States hit an 11-year high.
  Interestingly, American workers voluntarily left their jobs at the 
highest rate in 17 years. What that means--and I would like to drill 
down on that point for a moment--is that during the Obama 
administration, we heard a great deal of talk from our Democratic 
friends about a phenomenon they called job lock.
  The idea was that many workers were trapped in jobs that did not pay 
enough or did not take full advantage of their skills because there 
weren't enough open opportunities to justify taking the leap and 
looking for a better position.
  Republicans agreed with our Democratic colleagues that we could build 
a better economy for middle-class workers. We just didn't think tax 
increases and massive new regulations were the way to do it. Now, 
following a year and a half of Republican policies, including historic 
tax reform, the voluntary quit rate has hit a 17-year high. Workers now 
feel free to climb up the ladder and move on to bigger and better 
things.
  I have just one more data point: This economy is thriving, and the 
Republicans' bold agenda is helping to make it happen.

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