Hi, everybody.
On Tuesday, I gave my final
State of the Union Address.
And a focus was this: how do
we make the new economy work
better for everyone, not
just those at the top?
After the worst economic
crisis of our lifetimes,
we're in the midst of
the longest streak of
private-sector job
growth in our history.
More than 14
million new jobs.
An unemployment
rate cut in half.
At the same time, our
economy continues to go
through profound changes
that began long before the
Great Recession hit.
It's changed to the point
where even when folks have
jobs; even when the
economy is growing;
it's harder for hardworking
families to pull themselves
out of poverty, harder for
young people to start out on
their careers, and tougher
for workers to retire when
they want to.
That's a big part of the
reason a lot of working
families are
feeling anxious.
And it offends our
fundamentally American
belief that everybody who
works hard should be able to
get ahead.
That's why we've been
fighting so hard to give
families more opportunity
and more security - by
working to create
more good jobs,
invest in our middle class,
and help working people
get a raise.
It's what the Affordable
Care Act is all about -
filling in the gaps in
employer-based care so that
when somebody loses a job,
or goes back to school,
or starts that new business,
they still have health care.
And it's why I believe
we've got to take steps to
modernize our unemployment
insurance system.
If a hardworking
American loses her job,
regardless of what
state she lives in,
we should make sure she can
get unemployment insurance
and some help to retrain
for her next job.
If she's been
unemployed for a while,
we should reach out to her
and connect her with
career counseling.
And if she finds a new job
that doesn't pay as much as
her old one, we should offer
some wage insurance that
helps her pay her bills.
Under my plan, experienced
workers who now make less
than $50,000 could replace
half of their lost wages -
up to $10,000
over two years.
It's a way to give families
some stability and encourage
folks to rejoin the
workforce - because we
shouldn't just be talking
about unemployment;
we should be talking
about re-employment.
That's when America works
best - when everyone has
opportunity; when everyone
has some security;
and when everyone can
contribute to this country
we love.
That's how we make sure that
hardworking families
can get ahead.
And that's what I'll be
fighting for with every last
day of my presidency.
Thanks everybody.
Have a great weekend.
