Wall Street Protesters Are Angry About Jobs, Pelosi Says

“Occupy Wall Street” protesters are angry over the lack of employment prospects and government actions that are “not relevant to their lives,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said.

“I think they are angry that they don’t have jobs,” Pelosi told ABC News’ “This Week” program. “There’s nothing that makes you angrier than not being able to provide for your family or understand what your prospects are for the future.”

Americans’ pessimism about the economy helped send President Barack Obama’s approval rating to 38 percent last week, the lowest of his presidency. The nation’s jobless rate, which has been at 9 percent or higher since April, remained at 9.1 percent last month.

The stagnant labor market has limited consumer spending, which grew at 0.7 percent last month, the smallest increase since the last three months of 2009. The European debt crisis threatens to trigger another recession.

The protesters’ message to the “establishment,” including Wall Street and politicians, is that “change has to happen,” Pelosi said on ABC. The U.S. government’s bailout of banks hasn’t made capital available to average citizens as expected, the California Democrat said.

Pelosi said the discontent makes it more important for Americans to understand the opportunities presented by Obama’s jobs bill. Obama announced a $447 billion jobs plan Sept. 8 aimed at lowering unemployment with benefits for small businesses, measures to keep teachers employed and putting construction crews on the job rebuilding roads, bridges and schools. It would also include a cut in the payroll tax.

‘Kitchen-Table Concerns’

“It’s really important that President Obama get out there very strongly, very clearly about what this jobs bill does and what it means to kitchen-table concerns of the American people,” Pelosi said.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, has called the Wall Street protesters “growing mobs” that are dividing the country. Obama, a Democrat, has expressed empathy with the demonstrators while stopping short of endorsing their movement.

“Occupy Wall Street” began three weeks ago in Lower Manhattan and has spread to cities such as Washington and San Francisco. 

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