President Donald Trump on Friday defended his administration’s recent jobs record in a post on Truth Social, arguing that the uptick in unemployment reflects reductions in government employment rather than weakness in the private sector.
“100% OF OUR NEW JOBS ARE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR! I could reduce Unemployment to 2% overnight by just hiring people into the Federal Government, even though those Jobs are not necessary,” Trump wrote, adding, “I wish the Fake News would report the 4.5% correctly.”
He also claimed: “The only reason our Unemployment ticked up to 4.5% is because we are reducing the Government Workforce by numbers that have never been seen before.”
Why It Matters
Unemployment rose to 4.6 percent in November, heightening concerns that the labor market may be cooling. The administration has faced skepticism about jobs data in recent months, particularly after notable revisions to previously reported figures. Those adjustments followed a July report that came in 73,000 jobs below expectations, and Trump fired the Commissioner of Labor Statistics in August.
What To Know
Trump’s comments came days after the Department of Labor reported that the economy lost 105,000 jobs in October and then added just 64,000 jobs in November. The unemployment rate rose from 4.4 percent in September to 4.6 percent in November.
Some analysts say the latest numbers point to a job market that is losing momentum rather than strengthening. Trump, however, has continued to argue that his policies are working—especially as he seeks to shrink the federal workforce, a goal he emphasized during his campaign.
There were some signs of resilience in the latest report. Private payroll gains were described as relatively healthy, and parts of the data landed above expectations. Still, the headline unemployment rate—at a four-year high—and downward revisions to prior months’ figures contrasted with the White House’s earlier assessment following last month’s report that “President Trump’s pro-growth, America First agenda is already making great progress.”
Trump has also cautioned that his economic approach may take time to show results. But with cost pressures persisting and job growth appearing to slow, questions are growing about whether the administration’s strategy will need adjustments.
What People Are Saying
Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant said in a statement previously shared with Newsweek: “The report comes with a few asterisks, and we are going to need more data to get a clear picture about the overall health of the labor market. For the 2026 housing market, it is going to be a tug of war between the labor market and the mortgage market.”
Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, posted to X: “The US economy is in a hiring recession. Almost no jobs have been added since April. Wage gains are slowing. 710,000 more people are unemployed now versus November 2024.”
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, told CNBC after the report: “We dropped about 160,000 government workers—federal government—who are the people who took the buyout that, you know, we began that program in spring and gave people until the fall to step aside. And so, I think that from the private sector point of view it’s just about what we’ve been getting all year. It’s [a] solid upward trajectory.”
What’s Next
In a televised address Wednesday evening, Trump said more positive developments were ahead for American workers and families and promised that the cost of living would fall. He has also continued to press for increased investment in U.S.-based manufacturing and technology, arguing that it would expand job opportunities for American workers.
