The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the current employment situation report on Friday, and for the first time in a long time, it included positive news--the unemployment number decreased from 10 percent to 9.7 percent.

Although the small decrease in the number of unemployed can only be seen as good news, a worrisome statistic lies underneath: the loss of 41,000 jobs of teachers, social workers, cops and other state and local employees. SEIU's Anna Burger comments on the hidden impact of the millions of jobs lost during this recession:

"While any layoff is one too many, the ripple effects for so many out-of-work public employees will be especially great. The social worker or police officer who loses his job affects not only his immediate family and pocketbook, but the families and pocketbooks of the communities they care for. At a time when communities are already being hard-hit by the recession, we simply can't afford the losses of more state and local workers who provide needed public safety and social services.

"To stop the bleeding, we need Congress to provide immediate relief to state and local governments--without which, we could lose as many as 900,000 jobs-- and Medicaid funding. As the crisis continues, the outlook for long-term unemployment is getting worse. According to today's numbers, more than 41 percent of those who have lost their jobs have been out of work for more than 6 months - more than 6 million Americans. Congress must act now to extend unemployment and COBRA insurance through the end of the year."

Read Burger's entire statement here. More on the jobs report at BLS.gov.