(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Brown made the following statement:

"I am very much in favor of the idea of the White House's plan to host a jobs forum.   It is my understanding that the forum will include business leaders, small business owners, labor union leaders and financial experts, with the purpose of 'examining various initiatives to accelerate job creation' (according to President Obama).

"Economic statistics that came out this month show that although the gross domestic product (GDP) has grown at 3.5% in the last quarter, unemployment actually increased to 10.2% nationally, as well as over 11% in the state of Florida.  One unfortunate consequence of high unemployment rates is that they damage our economy in ways that can take years to fix, and can leave millions of families in poverty.  For that reason, I wholeheartedly believe that President Obama's focus on job creation is a step in the right direction towards addressing this very serious and complex economic problem. 

"In January of 2010, I am planning to host job fairs and workshops throughout the third district and am strongly encouraging other Members to do the same in their congressional district.  I have already spoken to several businesses about participating, and they have been extremely receptive to the idea.  Generally, I host job fairs in the spring, but because of the current crisis, I plan to have one right at the beginning of the year in 2010. 

"This year in fact, I held two extremely successful jobs fairs in the district, as well as events for area organizations on ways to access economic stimulus grant funds.  Last year's job fairs brought in over 55 participating companies, as well as an estimated 10,000 participants.  Moreover, as an additional way to assist those seeking employment, I brought in various organizations to provide workshops and training on interview techniques, resume preparation, and other ways to improve one's job search skills through networking, and personal presentation.

"Certainly, with over one in ten Floridians out of work, and unemployment figures expected to increase even higher, this is an extraordinarily difficult time for job seekers, both in the State of Florida and around the nation.  That said, attendance at January's Job Fairs will be even more critical, since it will provide great opportunities for those searching for work to network and speak directly with prospective employers in the state, federal and private sectors."

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