WASHINGTON, DC (October 22, 2013) – Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics unveiled the September unemployment statistics, showing the economy added 148,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 7.2 percent. The following is a statement from BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director David Foster:

“With the 16 days of government shutdown behind us, now it’s time to confront the problems—like our crumbling infrastructure and preventing climate change—that have fallen by the wayside over the past few weeks.

“The estimated $24 billion the shutdown cost Americans could have could have funded 40 percent of the highway funding gap, creating or maintaining up to 667,000 jobs; funded 32 percent of the transit gap, creating or maintaining up to 866,500 jobs; or created or maintained up to 480,000 jobs restoring our drinking water and wastewater systems. The U.S. could have nearly fully funded the 2013 National Infrastructure Development Bank Act, which would use $25 billion over five years to leverage hundreds of billions of dollars of private and public investment to repair America.

“We haven’t lost sight of the fact that the economy is still priority number one. Let’s get to work on the policies that will make the biggest impact creating family-sustaining jobs, addressing climate change and repairing the essential infrastructure systems we rely on every day.”