A Response From The Whitehouse

Dear Friend:

Thank you for writing me.  I have heard from many Americans who are losing their jobs and struggling to pay their bills.  Every day, I meet with my economic advisors to make sure we are doing all we can to create good jobs and help Americans support their families and pursue the American Dream.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was the first step to spur job growth and ease the pain of unemployment. This measure was designed to save or create millions of jobs here at home in industries such as alternative energy, health care, and construction.  By extending and increasing emergency unemployment compensation and increasing access to health insurance, ARRA has provided relief to millions of unemployed Americans and has helped improve our Nation's economic outlook.

Many Americans, however, are still struggling to find employment and provide for their families, and I am working to promote additional job creation.  To assist workers who lose their jobs, I signed into law the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act in November, extending unemployment benefits beyond what exists in ARRA.  I also signed into law an extension of COBRA benefits and partner with Congress to ensure that a safety net remains in place for those who face long-term unemployment.  

My Administration is also helping Americans return to work by emphasizing job training in industries that cannot be outsourced. Recently laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits have new opportunities to pursue higher education and job training programs, including easier access to Pell Grants.  To encourage job creation in the United States, I am replacing tax laws that send jobs overseas with new incentives to create them here at home.  Available assistance can be found online at: www.dol.gov/recovery/implement.htm or www.opportunity.gov.

Together, we can help more Americans find and keep good jobs and enjoy a healthy standard of living.  To locate an employment center near you, select your state at: www.dol.gov/dol/location.htm. For information on benefits and opportunities for those out of work, I encourage you to visit: www.dol.gov/dol/audience/aud-unemployed.htm. To find career resources, you may call 1-877-872-5627 or visit: www.careeronestop.org.  While it will take time to turn our economy around, I am confident that, working together, we will emerge from this crisis stronger than before.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama