After the U.S. Department of Labor released the latest jobs and unemployment numbers, DNC Chair and former Labor Secretary Tom Perez issued the following statement:

“The economic situation in our country didn’t have to be this bad. While this jobs report is a snapshot of our economy as many states were reopening, we are now seeing states backtracking and American workers are the ones feeling the pain – all  because of Trump’s incompetent handling of this pandemic. It’s critical that we get people back to work and continue to help the millions who are still out of work, but this president’s failure of leadership is devastating our economy and costing people their jobs, their savings, and their lives.

“Nearly 130,000 Americans have died from this pandemic, and the number of cases is spiking in states across the country; small businesses have shuttered, hospitals are overwhelmed, and our economy is in recession – with 17.8 million Americans still out of work. In fact, this is now the 15th straight week where unemployment claims have exceeded a million. The number of permanent job losses skyrocketed in June to 2.9 million. And the numbers are even worse for communities of color. The unemployment rate for Black men increased last month, and Latino and youth communities have also faced economic disaster.

“But Donald Trump can barely put one foot in front of the other, let alone manage a global crisis. Instead of leading the nation, he’s been playing golf, holding pep rallies, and tweeting racist videos – all while downplaying the severity of this virus and the hardship of the working families. Republicans in Congress have made matters even worse, refusing to authorize more relief for American workers after enhanced unemployment insurance expires at the end of this month. The American people deserve a president with the empathy and experience to lead us forward. They deserve a president who prioritizes their well-being, not his own TV ratings. They deserve Joe Biden.”