    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [May 5, 2000]
    [Page 853]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Report
    May 5, 2000

        Today we have further proof of the continued strength of our
    economy. With the announcement of 3.9 percent unemployment, we have
    broken the 4 percent barrier for the first time in three decades. Over
    the last 7 years, our Nation has created 21 million new jobs and cut the
    unemployment rate nearly in half. This is more than a symbolic milestone
    in the longest and strongest economic expansion in history. It shows
    that our strategy of fiscal discipline is working for all Americans. We
    have the lowest unemployment for African-Americans and Hispanics on
    record, the lowest unemployment for women in more than 40 years, and
    strong wage growth among all income groups.
        The American people deserve credit for this historic achievement.
    And they have made it clear that we should stay on the path of fiscal
    discipline, debt reduction, and targeted investments in our people. We
    should not adopt risky tax cuts that would derail our hard won
    prosperity. We have a responsibility to maintain the fiscal discipline
    that got us here.