WASHINGTON, DC - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement following the release of the monthly jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating the economy added 243,000 jobs in January 2012:

For the fifth month in a row, the unemployment rate in this country dropped, and for the twenty-second month in a row, our economy has added jobs - both significant signs of the impact of President Obama's strong leadership rebuilding the American economy.

"But let's be clear: while we are making progress, the number of long-term unemployed is virtually unchanged and there are still 23 million unemployed or underemployed. The worst thing Congress could do right now is cut unemployment insurance, a move that would send shockwaves through our still-fledgling economic recovery.

"While Republicans like Mitt Romney continue to build their campaigns on the hope of failure, President Obama has championed policies like extending unemployment insurance and the payroll tax cut that have sustained economic growth and helped working people stay afloat."

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