Readout of the President's Meeting with the Members of the Congressional Black Caucus

The President met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) today in the State Dining Room of the White House to discuss job creation and economic growth. The economy has added 2.1 million private sector jobs over 14 consecutive months, including more than 800,000 jobs since the beginning of the year, but the President recognizes that too many Americans families are still hurting and the unemployment rate is unacceptably high—especially among African Americans.  
 
The President reiterated his focus on economic recovery and  his commitment to supporting economic policies that help the hardest hit.  Members of the CBC also discussed the economic challenges facing our young people, an issue the President remains focused on. As part of the Administration’s effort to provide relief to our young people, Labor Secretary Solis partnered with business leaders and other public-private partnerships to publicize job opportunities for low-income youth on  www.dol.gov/summerjobs. The President also highlighted several Domestic Policy Initiatives including Growth Zones, which provides tax incentives for investment and employment and more streamlined access to government assistance to economically distressed areas with growth potential to bolster economic rejuvenation to the hardest hit areas of our country.