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Labor Secretary Hilda Solis on the May jobs report and efforts to boost job growth.
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Not good so what does the administration doing right now.
To turn what appears to be an alarming trend of two months in a -- disappointment in job creation around we're happy to be joined by -- solely she's the secretary of labor joining us now.
Live from Washington and secretary -- -- obviously I know you're watching the markets to people looking at their 41 case but you're in the business of the labour department of job creation.
No way to -- this number positively what we can do was find out from you what the plan is -- -- extremely worrisome levels here.
What are you when the president doing right now to turn this around.
Well first of all I'd like to say is that let's look at the at the past five months 'cause on the average in the despite months we've seen about a 170000.
Jobs created.
And yes economists say -- -- to have at least.
A 120000.
On an average so you know it's it's not as dire as as some would say I would say that even -- and a 27 month period we created.
Four point three million private sector jobs that is not devastating that is.
Actually something that I think is somewhat positive we sure we have to do more and we're focused stand like a laser -- to make sure that we have our training.
Job training dollars working in partnerships with community colleges and employers.
To make sure that we find the right employees to get into those jobs that are available we've seen a reduction from those individuals.
At the beginning of this recession you had seven applicants for one -- now it's down.
To about 321.
We've got to do better in way we do it is by incentivizing businesses you're absolutely right about.
Making investments in small businesses tax credits and breaks -- allowing for U wide benefits to be used so people could start -- their own businesses.
Look the labour participation.
Rate that's what I want to look at while it did tick slightly higher.
People are out there saying -- and these are economists on both sides of the aisle that if more people kind of got optimistic and started looking for jobs.
Our unemployment rate might be more like 9% which would be just horrific.
I guess the question secretaries -- leases where are we getting the jobs from we've got.
You know we've gotten and businesses.
Internally just squeezing an -- forget -- we don't wanna do this right now.
We're trying to constantly.
Well we have to make sure that we give tax -- breaks to those companies that are coming back from overseas and bringing those jobs back com.
That's one way to close those loopholes and make sure that we're making -- investments in manufacturing.
I just your report -- that are figures in the automobile industry looks very good for American.
A car manufactures that -- a positive sign they can also we need to look at manufacturing we need to make sure that we're also asking for folks to get into.
A credential programs because employers want to see people that have skills so my message is clear people need better education training they -- certificates.
And they can go to our once stocks we have 3000.
Job centers -- call -- stuff so people can command get job coaching resume writing access to computers.
Download information on where the jobs are in how to get ready for them.
But it's it's.
Really -- a lot of people right now to have seen them march numbers down partly revised the April numbers down hardly revise -- -- you've got a three month trend here.
That really looks.
Just disgusting for a lot of people who are looking millions of people who are looking for jobs.
-- the -- percent higher than where I look where we gonna get this up to -- people talk about the energy industry that we we didn't see what was happening you know we didn't get the keystone issue that was something the people wanted.
US labour secretary of where we going to see those jobs created if not in the energy sector.
Well what I see happening is in the health care industry that is almost been recession proof that continues to grow.
And that is well is the stand area science technology engineering people that have advanced degrees -- degrees in those areas are doing much better in the workforce so overall I still have a lot of optimism in terms of where the jobs are to its.
More making sure that we make sure that people are connecting to the right.
Job opportunities making sure that they have the right training available and that we work with industry -- were actually taking.
Curriculum that they're presenting to colleges and saying this is how we want.
Our future employees tot these -- the skills that we need and worse pony in on that right now and -- -- adding our workforce training programs to do.
Just that shouldn't that have been done a couple of years ago you know programs when I hear the -- programs my eyes start to glaze over because I truly think that those types of things take years to develop.
And years for people -- President Bush tried to do job training programs and it took for ever.
You don't sit and is there an immediate opportunity here that we're somehow -- Actually I have seen in the last two and a half years.
-- many many people who were unemployed underemployed get into the training programs at once again.
There are -- rate of placement is much higher than those people that never went into these training programs to begin with yesterday gave a Prius that was added up.
At a job site over in Maryland and soft and listen to people that have been unemployed for a long time they went into some apprenticeship programs and got training certificate now many of them have landed jobs are making a little bit more money some of them know that -- it still gonna take awhile in terms of areas like construction.
But I still think it.
We're on the right path but we need to have the support of congress congress has to help meet us halfway there.
By doing the right thing monies for infrastructure we have a lot of roads and and buildings it could be modernized.
We also need to put our returning -- -- Back to work the president's talking about that today and also incentivizing -- more tax credits for businesses small businesses in particular.
Well congress approved the health care bill congress approved the stimulus so there has been some work on that being done -- you know this is an election year and you know.
That a governor Mitt Romney is going to smell blood -- and he's gonna try and capitalize on this and get rid of things like the health care -- and and my question -- this.
It has been a tough slog over the past couple of years if the president is re elected will you stay -- labor secretary.
That is entirely up to the president I -- -- his well.
-- secretaries Elise thank you I know it's been a busy day this is the most important -- at least for our viewers on the markets we appreciate you coming on to discuss this -- thank you so much you're welcome -- having a very tough number here folks.
