Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, announced Monday that California is one of seven states to experience three consecutive months of growth in private-sector employment, according to a newly released report by the U.S. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee.

The report, titled “Understanding the Economy, State by State Snapshots,” features key economic indicators for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It shows that in January, February and March, there were more than 36,000 jobs gained in California’s private sector alone.

“While things are still tough out there, I am very encouraged by this news. Small business is the engine of prosperity, and consistent private-sector job creation will truly indicate economic recovery,” Capps said. “The Recovery Act has allowed the economy to stabilize, creating nearly 3 million jobs since it was enacted, and given the private sector time to get back on track.”

The Joint Economic Committee Report was updated to include state data released March 26 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was the third installment of JEC’s State-by-State Economic Snapshot series. The first report was released in January. The JEC will continue to update it on a monthly basis.

Click here to view the report.

— Ashley Schapitl is the press secretary for Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara.