Remarks Upon Receiving the Secretary of Labor's Manpower Report.

Mr. Secretary, ladies and gentlemen:

The Manpower Report which I am sending to Congress today shows more people are employed and have better paying jobs than ever before in our history. Approximately 7° million people have jobs who weekly average wages earning $101 in the factory-the highest in history.

Our standard of living is better than it has ever been. Our people are better educated and better trained than they have ever been, but there is no room for complacency. Many have been left behind in the parade of progress. There are many whose talents and abilities are now not being developed. There is still too much unemployment and too much underemployment. There are too many people who are uneducated and too many are unskilled.

There are minority groups that are hobbled by lack of equal opportunities. There are sections of our Nation which need an economic spur. We must, and I believe will, focus our attention upon the goals ahead rather than the gains already achieved, the needs rather than the advances.

A sound manpower policy is a necessary complement to the attack on poverty. Both are directed toward the same goal--a fully productive economy, taking advantage of the abilities of all of our people.

This report outlines the basic attitudes, the broad approaches, and the initial steps that are necessary to improve and to make more meaningful our policies.

I will also establish in the near future a presidential Committee on Manpower to appraise our manpower assets and requirements so that we may develop a sound program linking together the many programs already being directed toward the full employment of our manpower resources. I urge everyone to join the support of this effort.

We can eradicate the waste and the tragedy of unemployment. We can make full use of our human, our technological, and our natural resources. We can hasten the day when every American will be able to fulfill his own destiny. Under the leadership of our very able Secretary of Labor, Mr. Wirtz, we plan to move that date forward and to achieve everything we can in the limited time that is ours.