Republicans blasted President Obama’s jobs record Friday saying “there is no excuse” for continued pursuit of policies that kill economic growth.
The broadside followed release of a report Friday that fell far short of expectations, revealing that the economy created only 142,000 jobs in September.
“Too many middle-class families are still struggling in this economy, and we can do a lot better,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said, adding, “There is no excuse for the president to continue pushing an agenda that will hurt hardworking families and stifle economic growth.”
The outgoing House speaker cited Obama’s new rule on ozone emissions announced this week.
Friday’s report also revised downward previously reported jobs numbers for July and August by a combined 59,000, which sparked sharper than usual criticism.
“This just isn’t good enough. Flat wages, weak job growth, and far too many people simply giving up,” said Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and the party’s most influential voice on domestic policy matters. “This recovery continues to disappoint, but we can’t accept it as the new normal.”
The Wisconsin Republican called for a rewrite of the tax code, finishing trade agreements, and safety-net reform to boost growth.
“While job openings are increasing, hiring is slow and layoffs are on the rise,” said Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana, chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. “This all points to an uncertain and apprehensive trajectory for the U.S. economy.”
Private-sector economists had expected slightly more than 200,000 new jobs for September, and many analysts had anticipated that August’s initially reported 173,000 new jobs would be revised up.
Instead, job growth in both months was found to be weaker than previously estimated. August’s revised gains were only 136,000.
Nevertheless, the longer-term trend is toward lower unemployment. At 5.1 percent in September, the unemployment rate is almost half of the 10 percent recession peak in 2009. Monthly job growth above 100,000 is sufficient to keep the unemployment rate headed down, according to researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
In a statement on the report, White House economic adviser Jason Furman blamed the weak report on slowing growth overseas and “global financial turmoil.”
He noted that the private-sector has added 13.2 million jobs over 67 straight months of job growth, which is the longest such streak on record.
“Given the increased uncertainty around the world, it is imperative that the United States not further exacerbate that uncertainty with unnecessary brinksmanship and austerity,” Furman said, in a challenge to the GOP-led Congress that will soon have to negotiate a spending agreement and an increase in the debt ceiling.
He called specifically for Congress to increase spending above the statutory across-the-board limits currently in place, and to re-authorize the Export-Import Bank, which saw its charter expire at the end of June.
