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CONTACT: Bill Rowe, 919-856-2177, bill@ncjustice.org |
News Release: August 30, 2002 |
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Sorien K. Schmidt, 919-856-2151, sorien@ncjustice.org |
IT'S
A NO LABOR DAY
FOR THOUSANDS OF NORTH CAROLINA WORKERS
This Labor Day Finds North Carolina Workers Worse Off than in 2001 And Struggling to Recover from Recession
Raleigh, NC - North Carolina continues to lead most of the country in unemployment rate and the number of workers running out of unemployment benefits before they find a new job. As Labor Day approaches it is critical that Congress and President Bush take another look at how to help workers through the remainder of this recession.
Pre-Labor Day Facts: 1. North Carolina has the third highest unemployment rate in the country at 6.8% for July 2002. Only Oregon at 7.3% and Washington at 7.1% are higher. 2. 272,100 North Carolina workers or 6.8% were unemployed in July 2002, up from 228,200 workers or 5.7% in July 2001. 3. North Carolina has the eleventh highest number of unemployed workers running out of unemployment payments before they can find a new job. 4. In July 2002 13,181 unemployed workers received their final unemployment insurance payment. 5. 44,476 North Carolina workers lost employment due to mass layoffs. This is double the number workers who were impacted by mass layoffs 2000. *Sources: NC Employment Security Commission and US Department of Labor With these facts in mind, Bill Rowe, Executive Director of the NC Justice and Community Development Center issued the following statement: Over 100 years ago President Grover Cleveland signed legislation establishing the first Monday of September as Labor Day. Labor unrest was prominent in the latter part of the nineteenth century and the creation of Labor Day was seen at the time as an act of conciliation for American workers. Now, over a century later, Labor Day is less about the celebration of American workers and more about celebrating the last long weekend of summer. We should not forget that Labor Day was initially dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers and their tremendous contributions made to the strength, prosperity and well being of our country.
Labor Day 2002 finds over 270,000 of our fellow North Carolinians out of work, mass layoffs doubling over the past two years, and thousands of unemployed workers running out of unemployment benefits before they can find work. The "safety net" that should be there for all Americans when they hit hard times needs some serious repair. As Congress and the General Assembly convene after the long Labor Day weekend, they should remember the men and women who are out of work across this state and country. Cuts to social programs, like those being considered in the NC General Assembly, when people need them most make no sense. In Washington there is legislation before Congress that would repair the unemployment system and provide relief to those workers who are running out of unemployment benefits and cannot find work. Hopefully, our elected leaders will remember the real reason we have a Labor Day and commit to meet the needs of struggling workers.
For more information about North Carolina workers see these Justice Center Reports: