President Donald Trump on Friday defended his administration’s jobs record in a Truth Social post, arguing that the uptick in unemployment is the result of reductions in government employment.
“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.”
“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,” he continued.
Why It Matters
Unemployment rose to 4.6 percent in November, fueling concerns that the labor market may be cooling. The administration has faced scrutiny over jobs data in recent months, particularly after notable revisions to previously reported figures. Those revisions became a flashpoint in August, when Trump fired the Commissioner of Labor Statistics following a July report that came in 73,000 jobs below expectations.
What To Know
Trump’s comments came days after the Department of Labor reported that the economy shed 105,000 jobs in October and showed only a modest rebound in November, with 64,000 jobs added. Over the same period, the unemployment rate increased from 4.4 percent in September to 4.6 percent in November.
Analysts have pointed to the latest numbers as evidence of a labor market losing momentum rather than strengthening. Still, Trump has maintained that his approach is working—especially as he pursues a long-promised effort to shrink the federal workforce.
Some data points have offered the White House room for optimism. Tuesday’s figures, in part, exceeded expectations, and private payrolls recorded healthy gains.
At the same time, downward revisions to prior months and a four-year high in unemployment undercut the administration’s recent assessment—issued after last month’s report—that “President Trump’s pro-growth, America First agenda is already making great progress.”
Trump has also emphasized that his economic agenda will take time to deliver broader results. But with costs still elevated and hiring appearing to slow, the latest reports suggest the administration may face pressure to adjust its strategy.
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 reading: “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 changes were ahead for American workers and families, including lower costs of living. He has also continued pressing for increased investment in U.S.-based manufacturing and technology, aiming to expand job opportunities for U.S. workers.
