奥巴马：就业形势呈现好转迹象
奥巴马说，虽然4月美国的失业率升至8.9%。成为26年以来美国最高的失业率，共失去了大约53万9千个工作机会。但4月的失业人数降幅低于过去六个月，这表明就业市场出现了一些好转迹象。失业人数的下降是令人鼓舞的，但也不可盲目乐观。奥巴马同时宣布将利用此机会加强对失业人员的教育和培训 。
President Obama said while the United States is still in the midst of a recession, the gears of the country's economy are slowly beginning to turn.
"Step by step, we are beginning to make progress. Of course, that is no solace for those who have lost their jobs, or to the small business owners whose hearts break at letting longtime employees go," he said.
The president spoke shortly after the government announced that the unemployment rate rose to a 25-year high of 8.9 percent in April. Labor Department figures show that 539,000 Americans lost their jobs last month, compared to more than 600,000 in March.
Mr. Obama is seeking support for a program he calls the "New Foundation," which he said will help American workers prepare for the economy's eventual turnaround.
"If we want to come out of this recession stronger than before, we need to make sure that our workforce is better prepared than ever before," he said.
Part of Mr. Obama's program is a plan to let jobless people return to college without losing their unemployment benefits. States often require people receiving unemployment to be actively looking for work. Under the president's plan, jobless people could satisfy that requirement by going to school.
The $787 billion economic stimulus legislation the president signed in February gave states billions of dollars to increase benefits to the unemployed.
Mr. Obama intends to encourage colleges to make more financial aid available to people who are out of work.
