RICHMOND, VA - Congressman Eric Cantor (VA-07) today issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Virginia lost over 22,000 jobs in June, raising the Commonwealth's unemployment rate to 7.2 percent. Virginia's unemployment rate last year was 3.9 percent. 

"Simply put, the stimulus has failed in Virginia and across America.  It's painful to see our neighbors, friends, and family cope with this continued job loss. They deserve better, and need our support.  Every job lost is an economic free fall for a family.

"First and foremost, our top priority must be the preservation, protection and creation of jobs. We must do everything in our power to get Virginians back to work. Washington's uncontrollable appetite for unfocused, reckless spending has not worked. 

"We must protect small businesses from the enormous burden being forced on them by Washington. We know that the best way to reverse job loss is to empower the true job generators and creators in this economy, our small businesses.”

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