House Majority Leader Responds to New Hampshire October Unemployment Rate Drop

CONCORD –House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem) today offered the following statement in response to the news that October’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.3% in October from 5.4%.  According to data from the Department of Employment Security, the number of employed residents increased to 704,770, a jump of 2,220 from September.  The unemployment rate did not drop further because 1,940 individuals entered the workforce, a sign of a strengthening economy.

House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt

“We are seeing the impact of the Republican pro-growth initiatives bringing confidence to both employers and workers.  Over 2,200 New Hampshire citizens were able to find jobs this month, helping the working families across the state.  What’s more important is that almost 2,000 residents decided to get off the sidelines and join the labor force, showing that they are betting on a brighter future for our economy.  We need to make sure that government is not a barrier to growing our economy, which is why I am so discouraged that Governor Lynch chose to oppose a common sense jobs measure in the plan to bring responsible gaming to our state and to make New Hampshire a Right-to-Work state.  We would prefer to work with the Governor as an ally in growing jobs here, but he has chosen to become an impediment instead.”