Doheny, Owens on unemployment figures

21st Congressional District candidates are reacting to last week's news that the national unemployment rate dipped to 7.8 percent in September.

Republican challenger Matt Doheny, a businessman from Watertown, issued the following statement:

“Certainly the fact that the national unemployment rate is less than 8 percent for the first time in 44 months is encouraging. “However, I continue to remain concerned about the serious challenges our country faces in the coming months that will undo these gains and further undermine our recovery. “These past three months, I’ve listened as more than 200 local business owners shared their fears about our future. “They see my opponent side-step responsibility for a wave of new regulations, and they worry about who is going to rein in this bureaucratic overreach. They hear him tell supporters that he’s going to push for tax increases if re-elected, and they wonder how they’ll stay in business. And they hear him continue to suggest there’s no reason to worry about this looming ‘fiscal cliff’ of tax hikes and indiscriminate spending cuts, and they wonder if they can trust someone who has contributed to the partisanship and gridlock in Washington. “I’ve told them about my experience in helping turn around troubled companies and protecting thousands of American jobs. I’ve shared with them my solutions to relieving the regulatory burden, for keeping taxes low, and for creating the infrastructure needed for a 21st century economy and they’re encouraged. “My opponent has been content to simply manage the decline. People were struggling in his district when he first went to Washington. Unemployment was 8.5 percent. Almost three years later, unemployment has gotten worse – it’s 9.3 percent. There are 5,000 more people unemployed now than they were when he was first elected. “I have the energy and the desire to be this district’s ‘salesman in chief,’ to pursue CEOs and presidents of companies and tell them about the comparative advantages upstate has to offer. I’ll also work to create a climate that encourages people to start new small businesses here. After all, they are the backbone of our economy. “I offer a fresh perspective and a better direction, while my opponent offers empty promises and mounting deficits. For voters, the choice is clear.”

And here's the response from U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh:

"The new national unemployment figures are encouraging and a step in the right direction. And we are seeing some improvement in our region as well. As the private sector continues to create more jobs I will continue supporting policies that encourage growth and put people to work."