Clinton/Gore '96

Economic Security

Photo of the President

Strengthening Americašs Economy
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 Submitted to Congress the first genuine balanced budget in 17 years, balancing the budget in seven years based on both Administration and Congressional Budget Office estimates while protecting our fundamental priorities of Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment.
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 Won enactment of the largest deficit-cutting plan in history, cutting the deficit in half within four years, after it quadrupled during the previous two Administrations.
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 Oversaw the creation of more than 10 million new jobs in just under three and a half years—a faster annual rate of job growth than any Republican Administration since the 1920s.
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 Unemployment rate has fallen to 5.3%—down from over 7% when President Clinton took office.
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 93% of all new jobs created are in the private sector—higher than the average percentage during any Administration since the Harding Administration.
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 Nearly 4 million new jobs in high-wage industries have been created since January 1993. By contrast, 200,000 high-wage industry jobs were lost in the previous four years.
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 More than one million new manufacturing, automotive and construction jobs have been added since January 1993.
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 Highest annual number of new business incorporations since World War II.
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 Real median family income is higher now than when President Clinton took office after falling 4% during the previous four years.
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 The combined unemployment, inflation and mortgage rate is at its lowest level since 1968.


Creating Economic Security
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 Proposed a $2,600 jobs training voucher program to allow unemployed workers the freedom to choose the training programs that are right for them.
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 Fought for meaningful health insurance reform to allow people to keep coverage when they change jobs and prevent denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
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 Challenged Congress to raise the minimum wage to provide the opportunity for working Americans to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
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 Protected the pensions of more than 40 million workers and retirees by reforming the federal pension insurance system and requiring companies to keep their retirement plans sufficiently funded. (Retirement Protection Act)
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 Challenged Congress to enable Americans to save for their retirements by increasing pension portability, enhancing pension protection and expanding coverage.


Opening New Markets to Create Jobs for U.S. Workers
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 Exports have surged by one-third over the last three years as President Clinton stood up for America’s workers and opened more markets to U.S. goods and services.
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 More than 1 million new export-related jobs have been created under the Clinton Administration. Jobs supported by exports pay on average 15% more than other jobs.
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 America is once again the world’s number one manufacturer of automobiles, overtaking Japan for the first time since the 1970’s.
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 American goods exported in sectors covered by Clinton Administration trade agreements with Japan have grown over 85%—three times faster than growth in other U.S. goods exported to Japan.
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 The United States was named the most competitive economy in the world for the third year in a row.


Paid for by Clinton/Gore ’96 General Committee, Inc.

Photograph © Jeffrey Markowitz/SYGMA