Businessman and Democrat Jack Davis, who is facing powerful Republican Tom Reynolds in the race for the 26th District Congressional seat, held a press conference outside the Center For Arts building on Friday to discuss the August jobs report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Davis, a 1955 graduate of UB, talked about the realities of the job market that college graduates face.
"I am concerned whether there will be any jobs for these students when they graduate," he said.
The report showed that 144,000 jobs became available, missing its expected goal by 6,000 positions.
Hitting the predicted number of 150,000 jobs was considered by the Bureau to be necessary in order for the economy to keep up with the pace of population growth.
"When we should have been creating 6.6 million jobs, we lost 1.1 million, and the jobs we are creating are low paying and require no skill," Davis said. "You do not need a university education for that."
Justin Martin, the president of the College Democrats at UB and a sophomore history major, spoke at the press conference in support of Davis.
"What's the point of going to college and majoring in something like computer science if you can't get a job after you finish?" Martin said.
Davis, a proponent of replacing the nation's free-trade policies, spoke against the policies of his Republican rival, Tom Reynolds.
"Tom Reynolds told me that he wants to create more jobs and that he is pro free-trade. You can't have it both ways," Davis said.
Davis explained that free trade policies lead to offshore outsourcing of business but a balanced trade course of action keeps jobs inside the borders of the U.S. He's against organizations such as the World Trade Organization and also the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he said encourages corporations to invest overseas rather than in America.
"When we outsource jobs we're outsourcing the future for this generation of American students. An honest day's pay for an honest day's work is the American way - and I won't let it be traded away by some multinational bosses and the politicians they pay off in Washington," Davis stated in the press release.
"We came here to get jobs and build a good life, we don't want to go somewhere else," said Bernard Nwachukwu, a junior computer science major.
"Most of the economic professors here probably believe in free trade, they are absolutely wrong, just look around: Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh, Schenectady, and New York City -- all in debt," Davis said.
Davis also said that instituting protective tariffs for balanced trade would help keep positions from going elsewhere.
"I'm not talking about only keeping jobs in Western New York, I'm talking about keeping jobs in America," Davis said. "I'm a patriot and I'm on a mission to save American jobs."
Jack Davis, who was a lifelong Republican, donated a substantial amount of money to the party before he decided that it was the wrong party for him. He said he is using over $1 million of his own money to finance his campaign.
"When I graduated school it was very easy to find a job. Now graduates have to move back in with their parents," Davis said.
Anna Gossin, a senior English major, spoke at the press conference about the uncertainty that looms when she graduates.
"I don't know too much about the situation, but I do know that I don't want to go back working my summer jobs full-time after I graduate," she said.
Davis mentioned that many students have the same fears as Gossin, and that if he's elected he will protect the security of jobs.
"I'm running to save American jobs, farms and industries, and fighting the off-shoring and out-sourcing of American businesses," Davis said.
