John F. Kennedy photo

News Release on Unemployment from the Democratic National Committee Publicity Division

October 27, 1960

1001 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW.,

WASHINGTON 6, DC

Senator John F. Kennedy has named the first of a group of 200 community leaders throughout the Nation to head local committees for new jobs and new growth.

The committees will all receive identical instructions to survey their local scenes and report to him "before the year's end" on community resources for developing new industries and retraining jobless workers, as well as local problems in combating unemployment.

By extending the report period to December 31, the Democratic presidential candidate has given notice that he intends to press his campaign for full employment in the United States regardless of the outcome of the November 8 elections.

In letters inviting the first participation in the new committees, he charged that "neither the present administration in Washington nor the Republican candidate for President, has a program to increase the number of jobs in America, providing not only for the millions now out of work but also for new millions who will join the labor force in the next few years."

Kennedy amplified his letter of invitation by saying:

The Democrats have a program for full employment in America. The Republicans do not. This is probably the most fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans, between Mr. Nixon and myself.

This is made painfully clear by the fact that unemployment has doubled in this country since Mr. Eisenhower took office, while the number of jobs has grown only 15 percent. Mr. Nixon either hasn't been told about it or he doesn't care.

John F. Kennedy, News Release on Unemployment from the Democratic National Committee Publicity Division Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/274715

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