Greensboro, NC - U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (NC) commented today on the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Labor and Economic Analysis Division report that the state's unemployment rate remains at 9.4 percent in May:

"Today's jobs announcement shows that our economy remains steady, but we must continue working to move it in the right direction and put the hundreds of thousands of unemployed North Carolinians back to work. Jobs are my number-one, number-two and number-three priorities, and that's why we must pass a Farm Bill in the Senate that will give North Carolina farmers the certainty and flexibility they need to do what they do best: farm. Agriculture is North Carolina's largest industry, generating $74 billion in economic activity and employing nearly one-fifth of our workers. I'm hopeful that petty partisan gamesmanship will not interfere with this crucial legislation.

"I'm also continuing my North Carolina Back to Work Jobs Tour to listen to business owners and employees for their ideas on how to move our economy forward. I've traveled across our state for months and even connected with North Carolinians in a Twitter town hall. The message is clear: we can't wait for another election before we work together to put people back to work. I welcome good ideas, whether they come from Republicans or Democrats, to help struggling families in our state get back on their feet."