Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) has released a statement in response to the January jobs report.

The Labor Department reported that 243,000 jobs were created in December and the national unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent.

Manzullo's statement:

“It’s wonderful to see some people returning to work, but we need to do much more to strengthen our economy and help employers create even more jobs. While 243,000 Americans returned to work, the long-term unemployed — those without jobs for more than 6 months — remained essentially unchanged at 5.5 million people. There are still too many Americans who want to work but can’t find a job. My American Jobs Agenda would go a long way to help our employers expand and create jobs. 

“Things are looking much brighter in northern Illinois. Just last week, I was able to greet the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner when it stopped in Rockford on its maiden tour of international airports. The production of that amazing airplane will generate $16 billion in contracts for just one Rockford company — Hamilton Sundstrand — and many more local companies will benefit through sub-contracts. In addition, we were ecstatic to learn just yesterday that Chrysler — now owned by Italy’s Fiat — plans to add 1,800 jobs by this summer at the Belvidere Assembly plant to build the exciting new 2013 Dodge Dart, the first Chrysler vehicle to incorporate Fiat architecture, similar to that used in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Things are definitely moving in the right direction, and I strongly encourage the Senate and the President to work with us and pass the nearly 30 House-passed jobs bills that are languishing without action.”