WASHINGTON, April 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the heels of today's historic unemployment numbers, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is calling for immediate aid to the nation's gasping manufacturing sector.

"Today's unemployment numbers are egregious," said IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger. "More Americans are out of work than at the height of the 1981-1982 recession. Factory employment alone is down more than one million over the past six months. But the pain does not stop there.

"The government's Bureau of Labor Statistics today reported there are 24.3 million unemployed, involuntary and discouraged workers in America today. That's nearly 4 million more than in December 1982.

"We clearly need a second stimulus bill, one aimed at reviving our manufacturing sector," said Buffenbarger. "The Obama administration and Congress needs to begin work on this critical priority right now."

The IAM is among the nation's largest industrial trade unions, representing nearly 700,000 active and retired members in dozens of industries throughout North America. For more information about the Machinists union, visit www.goiam.org.

Web site: http://www.goiam.org//