Romney: Jobs Report This Morning's 'Hangover'

Sept. 7, 2012 -- intro: Mitt Romney said "this morning is the hangover," referring to the August jobs report released Friday. The Labor Department reported that American employers added 96,000 jobs in August, bringing the unemployment rate to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent in July. Despite the drop in unemployment, the U.S. jobless rate has hovered above 8 percent for the 43rd consecutive month.

Check out some more reactions and statements made regarding Augusts jobs report:

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quicklist:1title:Mitt Romneytext: "If last night was the party, this morning is the hangover. For every net new job created, nearly four Americans gave up looking for work entirely. This is more of the same for middle-class families, who are suffering through the worst economic recovery since the Great Depression. After 43 straight months of unemployment above 8 percent, it is clear that President Obama just hasn't lived up to his promises, and his policies haven't worked. They aren't better off than they were four years ago. My plan for a stronger middle class will create 12 million new jobs by the end of my first term. America deserves new leadership that will get our economy moving again."

Later, Mitt Romney also responded at a press conference in Iowa saying:

"As I said earlier, after the party last night, the hangover today, the jobs numbers were very disappointing. For almost every net new job created, approximately four dropped out of the workforce. Seeing that kind of report is obviously disheartening for the American people that need work, and are having a hard time finding work. Real incomes, real wages are also not rising.This is a tough time for the middle class of America. There's almost nothing the president has done in the past three and a half, four years that gives the American people confidence that he knows what he's doing when it comes to jobs and the economy. And there's certainly nothing that he said last night that gives the American people confidence he knows what he would do to create jobs or build a stronger economy. So i think we have a very clear choice as people consider two people running for the presidency of the United States, and I hope that my message will continue to connect with the people of America, that they understand how my plan and the five steps of my plan will put 12 million people to work and bring rising take-home pay."

quicklist:2title: Paul Ryantext: "This is not even close to what a recovery looks like. Look, we would need to actually have 150,000 jobs created just to keep in pace with population growth. This is not what President Obama promised. I would argue this is the result of failed leadership in Washington, bad fiscal policy coming from the administration, and that is why we had this very tepid report. For every one net job created, nearly four people left the work force. So this is not what a recovery looks like."

quicklist:3title: Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader text: "The unemployment rate is falling as we saw the 30th straight month of private sector job growth, with the economy adding nearly 100,000 new jobs. While our recovery is still moving too slowly for many Americans, job growth would likely have been even stronger if Republicans had not blocked Democratic efforts to hire more teachers, firefighters and police officers.

"At the end of the day, too many people in Nevada and across America are still struggling to get by. The best way to speed up our recovery is for Republicans to stop their knee-jerk obstruction of every effort Democrats put forward, and start working across the aisle to find common ground. Next week, the Senate will vote to give employers incentives to hire veterans, so our heroes are not left out in the cold when they return home. This is a commonsense jobs bill, and I hope Republicans will join Democrats in supporting it.

"The Republican leader said his single most important goal was defeating President Obama. To speed up our recovery, it's time for Republicans to put politics aside, and join Democrats to make the middle-class their top priority."

quicklist:4title:John Boehner, Speaker of the Housetext:"This report underscores President Obama's failed promises to get our economy moving again. The unemployment rate has been higher than 8 percent for 43 consecutive months. Wages are stagnant, gas prices and health care costs are up, our national debt has surpassed $16 trillion, and millions of Americans remain out of work or underemployed. President Obama made a spirited pitch for the failed status quo this week, but the fact is: We can do better.

quicklist:5title: Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee Chairmantext: "Just hours after President Obama asked America for a second term, we received a clear reminder that he has yet to keep his No. 1 promise to fix the economy," said RNC chairman Reince Priebus. "The indisputable message of today's jobs report: We're not creating jobs fast enough, and we're certainly not better off than we were four years ago. Time is up Mr. President.

"With his massive $831 billion stimulus, President Obama promised to keep unemployment below 8 percent and reduce it to roughly 5.5 percent by this month. Instead, we've endured 43 months of unemployment over 8 percent. Unemployment is even higher than when the president took office.

"President Obama has no new plans for a second term -- just more spending and more taxes. If we don't change course, we'll only get more of the same. Mitt Romney is the only candidate with a five-part plan to create 12 million jobs and strengthen the middle class.

"The millions of Americans who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 are realizing it's time to break up with this president. He promised hope and change but delivered division and despair. With Mitt Romney we can do better."

quicklist: 6title:Alan Krueger, Chairman of Council of Economic Adviserstext: "While there is more work that remains to be done, today's employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression. It is critical that we continue the policies that are building an economy that works for the middle class as we dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the severe recession that began in December 2007. To create more jobs in particularly hard-hit sectors, President Obama continues to support the elements of the American Jobs Act that have not yet passed, including further investment in infrastructure to rebuild our nation's ports, roads and highways, and assistance to state and local governments to prevent layoffs and to enable them to rehire hundreds of thousands of teachers and first responders. To build on the progress of the last few years, President Obama has also proposed an extension of middle-class tax cuts that would prevent the typical middle class family from facing a $2,200 tax increase next year."

quicklist: 7title:Jan Eberly, Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy text:"The path to recovery in the labor market has not been a smooth one, and as this report highlights we have made substantial progress since the recession ended three years ago."