National Urban League Urges Focus on Job Creation During Meeting With President Obama

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 10, 2010) – National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today called for a stronger focus on employment counseling,  job creation and direct aid to public employers during a meeting today with President Barack Obama.

 “The crisis of unemployment and underemployment among urban and minority communities has reached a devastating level and it continues to deepen,” Morial said. “While the overall picture appears to be brightening, we cannot allow it to blind us to the worsening situation for black Americans.  I believe our meeting today with President Obama has focused his attention more solidly on the plight of these neglected communities.”

 Morial characterized the meeting as "very positive," and said President Obama was "engaged and sensitive to the challenges facing the most vulnerable in our society.""We are going to press the Congress to add more targeted provisions to the jobs bill," Morial said. Morial said the jobless rate for black men last month, 17.6% and rising, is approaching the worst of the Great Depression, when nearly one in four Americans were unemployed. The percentage of white men unemployed in January was 9.1%.

 “I’m grateful for the opportunity  to present our case to President Obama and articulate our specific plans to address the unemployment crisis,” said Morial, who was joined in the meeting by the Rev. Al Sharpton, and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous. "His firm leadership over the last year has staved off a greater catastrophe and I have faith he is taking the country in a healing direction."

 For more information about the National Urban League's jobs plan, visit www.nul.org.

 CONTACT:    Teresa Candori, 646-319-0891

                        tcandori@nul.org

About the National Urban League

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy. Today, there are more than 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.