Did Jeb Bush really ask Americans to extend their workweek?
Jeb Bush received a flurry of criticism Wednesday for a remark that Americans "need to work longer hours."
Democrats have been using this statement to show that the Republican presidential and former Florida governor hopeful may be unaware or 鈥渙ut-of-touch鈥� with the American workforce.
However, Mr. Bush has since聽rebutted that the phrase was taken out of context and a reference to underemployed and part-time workers, not those already working full-time hours.
"If we鈥檙e going to grow the economy people need to stop being part-time workers,鈥� . 鈥淭hey need to be having access to greater opportunities to work,"
The original , was part of a broader discussion of Bush's vision for economic growth in the country:
鈥淢y aspirations for the country, and I believe we can achieve it, is for 4 percent growth as far as the eye can see,鈥� Bush said. 鈥淲hich means we have to be a lot more productive. Workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows. It means that people need to work longer hours and through their productivity gain more income for their families. That鈥檚 the only way we are going to get out of this rut that we鈥檙e in.鈥澛�
聽The Democratic National Committee called the statement 鈥渆asily one of the most out-of-touch comments we鈥檝e heard so far this cycle," in an email to The Post. The Clinton campaign鈥檚 chairman John Podesta on the statement, saying 鈥淎mericans work pretty hard already."
Even other 2016 Republican candidates have responded to Bush鈥檚 statements, with Texas Senator Ted Cruz鈥檚 campaign spokesman making an allusion to Mitt Romney鈥檚 campaign gaffes in 2012.
鈥淚t would seem to me that Gov. Bush would want to avoid the kind of comments that led voters to believe that Governor Romney was out of touch with the economic struggles many Americans are facing,鈥� the statement said.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, US workers work longer hours than those in any other large, industrialized country. Gallup found that full-time workers tend to clock in an average of 47 hours .
