Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “The strong jobs report shows how President Trump is fixing the damage caused by Joe Biden”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrated the latest employment figures as evidence of rapid recovery under President Trump. She highlighted private sector gains and benefits for native-born workers as key wins in an America First agenda.

The November jobs data, released amid a partial government shutdown delay, revealed a modest rebound with 64,000 positions added after October’s 105,000 losses. Unemployment climbed to 4.6 percent, the highest in four years, signaling ongoing labor market strains from federal cuts and broader slowdowns.

Leavitt’s remarks tie into administration efforts to reshape hiring through immigration curbs and deregulation since Trump’s January inauguration. Officials point to 2.7 million native-born job additions year-to-date against 972,000 foreign-born declines, crediting policies that prioritize domestic workers in manufacturing and services.

These shifts follow Biden-era expansions in public sector roles, which Trump reversed with 317,000 federal layoffs to streamline operations. Proponents argue such moves free up resources for private investment, though critics note they exacerbate short-term disruptions in communities reliant on government work.

It is true that average weekly wages rose 4.2 percent in Trump’s first year, outpacing inflation for many households and boosting real earnings by 0.8 percent through September. However, wage growth slowed to 3.5 percent in November, the weakest since pre-pandemic levels, while prices stabilized rather than fell outright, with inflation hovering near 2.7 percent amid tariff impacts.

Leavitt’s claim of 100 percent private sector and native-born job growth holds for year-to-date totals, per Labor Department breakdowns, though overall payrolls remain below expectations and revisions downgraded prior months by 33,000. The touted trillions in foreign investments, pegged at $18 trillion by the president, stem mostly from unverified pledges and long-term goals, with actual inflows dipping to $52.8 billion in early 2025 from $79.9 billion the prior quarter.

Forecasts for a 2026 boom vary, with some analysts projecting 2 percent GDP growth amid stagflation risks, while others see potential upside to 3 percent if tech and cyclical sectors accelerate. Administration optimism overlooks near-term headwinds like tariff effects and federal belt-tightening, which could temper the rebound.

Media reporting for this story: 40% Left | 20% Right | 30% Center | 10% Unrated

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