WASHINGTON, D.C.--Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement in response to the November jobs report released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that showed the first significant drop in the unemployment rate since March 2009:

Today's jobs numbers are a positive step forward but we won't solve our jobs emergency until right-wing Republicans in Congress stop blocking efforts to put millions of Americans back to work.

"The continued job growth in the healthcare industry should also call into serious question the right-wing obsession with cutting Medicare and Medicaid. Cuts to essential healthcare services would endanger the health of seniors and families and cripple job growth.

"The American people want to get back to work. They want jobs, not cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and other services that keep seniors and children healthy. And they want corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share.

"It's time for Republican members of Congress to respond to the demands of the American people and put our country back to work."

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy. www.seiu.org

"

###