[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14585]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THE MIDDLE-CLASS SQUEEZE

  (Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, last month's disappointing job creation 
numbers demonstrate that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle 
have a lot of work to do to help improve this economy. The economy only 
created 112,000 jobs last month, less than half of what economists 
predicted. Over 90 percent of the new jobs that were created were found 
in the service sector area, and they pay less-than-average hourly 
wages. Many do not even provide health care benefits. In fact, many 
people in my own District have to work two and three part-time jobs 
just to make ends meet to put food on the table.
  Wages are now at the lowest point in 2 years, and a typical family is 
now making $1,500 less than they were last year. Unemployment rates in 
my district in East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, I am not 
proud to say, they are about 10 percent, way above the national 
average. For Latino youth, youth that I represent, they are 
experiencing double-digit inflation. Right now, they are also unable to 
find part-time jobs this summer that they badly need.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the Republican Party take a second look at 
our economy. Let us keep those jobs at home, and let us increase the 
wages of working families.

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