The following also could be said:

"O Peace, O peace -- what crimes are committed in thy name ?"

Hoping Washington, D.C. enjoys Bo ...

I'd been reading this as a humorous remark; sort of a "DUH!" comment.
But as others have [accurately] observed, there's nothing funny about it. Regardless of the cause (WHY they're 'thrown out of work') they become numbers -- figures reflected in the unemployment rolls -- a caring crisis to some, a political opportunity for others.

A funny ! It took me a moment or two, thinking he was being misquoted, then I realized his point. I would have said "permit" rather than "let," not that "let is incorrect, for many's the time I've " let the task overwhelm me " !