Greensboro, NC - U.S. Senator Kay Hagan released the following statement today on the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Labor and Economic Analysis Division report that the state's unemployment rate increased to 9.6 percent in July, up from 9.4 percent in June:

"Today's jobs report is a reminder that people across our state are still struggling and that we must do more to create jobs and improve our economy. We can't wait until after the election to take action that will put hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians back to work. I continue traveling across our state on my North Carolina Back to Work Jobs Tour gathering ideas and solutions that will move our economy in the right direction. It's clear that we must expand and rebuild our historic industries; fill available 21st-century jobs now; plan for the future with strategic investments; and grow our state's small businesses. I will continue fighting for policies that create a better environment for our state's businesses to grow and get the people of North Carolina back to work."