Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) released the following statement today after the Department of Labor released its jobs report for March:

“With 88,000 total jobs and 95,000 private sector jobs created in March, today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics report demonstrates the fragility of our economic recovery.  Congress should be working to provide more certainty for businesses to encourage job creation, which is why it is unacceptable that House Republicans have allowed sequestration to take effect.  It continues to be an irrational policy and one that is harmful to our ability to create jobs and secure opportunities that provide for a strong middle class.  Congress has a responsibility to replace sequestration with a big, balanced deficit solution before the situation worsens.

“The key to job creation over the short and long term continues to be the revitalization of America’s manufacturing sector.  Next week, I will announce new Make It In America priorities for 2013, so that we can further strengthen domestic manufacturing and help companies create jobs here.  I hope both parties will work together to bring Make It In America legislation to the House Floor in the coming weeks so we can reinvigorate our manufacturing base and help it create middle-class jobs for years to come.”