Message to the Congress Transmitting the Annual Manpower Report of the President.

To the Congress of the United States:

It is a traditional event for the President to submit to Congress an annual report on the progress of our manpower programs.

Although the custom is long-established, there is nothing routine about this report or its subject: jobs for our citizens: more useful, more satisfying jobs to give Americans a sense of full participation in their society.

Four months ago I told Congress that jobs are "the first essential."

In my first special legislative message this year, I proposed that Congress launch a new $2.1 billion manpower program--the most sweeping in our history.

At the same time I called on the leaders of American commerce and industry to form a National Alliance of Businessmen to provide jobs for hundreds of thousands of the hard-core unemployed.

On April 25, the Alliance reported to me on its progress so far:

--More than 500 executives, whose talents command more than $15 million in salaries alone, have volunteered to work full time in fifty of our largest cities.

They are assisted by 7,000 other volunteers.

--By mid-April, the Alliance had received pledges of 111,000 jobs--66,000 permanent jobs for the hard-core unemployed, and 45,000 summer jobs for poor young people.

--Labor unions, the Urban Coalition, Chambers of Commerce, churches, schools and many civic groups have joined this crusade to give the words "full employment" a new meaning in America.

Meanwhile, the Government's new Concentrated Employment Program has been active in more than 50 cities meshing its efforts with the National Alliance of Businessmen. And the administration of our job programs has been given new energy through reorganization and strong leadership.

These are hopeful beginnings. But certainly they are no grounds for complacency.

In every city, there are men who wake up each morning and have no place to go; men who want work--but cannot break the confining welfare chain or overcome the barriers of life-long discrimination, or make up for the lack of schooling and training.

When we talk about unemployment, we are talking about these citizens, who want and need personal dignity and a stake in America's progress.

When we talk about manpower programs, we are talking about hope for these Americans.

And every time we tabulate new statistics of success in these programs, we are recording a small personal triumph somewhere: a man trained; a youth given a sense of his value; a family freed at last from welfare.

That hope is what makes this great task so exciting--and so vital.

To every member of the Congress, upon whom our manpower programs depend, I commend this report.

I urge the Congress to support these programs by approving the $2.1 billion manpower budget request I recommended in January.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The White House

May 1, 1968