US Economy Adds 263,000 Jobs In April

The Labor Department reports that 263,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy in April, making for a record 103 straight months of positive job growth.

With those jobs factored in, the unemployment rate dropped to 3.6 percent, the lowest since 1969.

The official unemployment rate has been at or below 4 percent for more than a year.

Additionally, average hourly earnings rose 3.2 percent in the past year.

February Jobs Report Much Weaker Than Expected

The Labor Department released its monthly hiring and unemployment figures for February on Friday morning showing only 20,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy last month.

Analysts had expected a gain of about 175,000.

It was the 101st straight month of job gains, but the weakest report since September 2017.

The unemployment rate adjusted downward to 3.8 percent from 4 percent in January.

The labor force participation rate held at 63.2 percent in February and has changed little over the year.

Unemployment Rate Drops To 3.9%

The unemployment rate dropped to 3.9% for April according to reports from the Labor Department.

According to the New York Times, 164,000 jobs were added last month. Employment experts were expecting an increase of about 193,000.

This marks the lowest jobs rate since 2000. Economists say the numbers signal the job market becoming more competitive over the past months.

While more people may be working, one issue that gives pause is the slow increase in wages for middle class Americans.

Pay increased by 2.6 percent over the past year, not much faster than inflation. That's considerably more moderated than economists expect in a job market this tight.

The last time the job market looked like this, in the late 90s and early 2000s, wages for middle class workers rose at an annual rate of around 4 percent.

Interestingly, Donald Trump boasted that he would be THE "jobs president" since he allegedly knows how to create jobs.

And yet, it appears he isn't generating the same kind of numbers his predecessor did...

Average monthly job gain:

2016 avg: 187,000 (Obama).
2015 avg: 226,000 (Obama).
2014 avg: 250,000 (Obama).
2013 avg: 192,000 (Obama).
2012 avg: 179,000 (Obama).
2011 avg: 174,000 (Obama).

April 2018: 164,000 (President Jobs, Jobs, Jobs).

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 4, 2018

Unemployment Remains At 4.1% For Sixth Month In A Row

The March jobs report is out and, according to experts, its something of a disappointment.

The U.S. economy added just 103,000 jobs were added last month. Wall Street economists expected 185,000, according to Bloomberg.

For the 6th straight month the unemployment rate remained at 4.1%.

Average earnings per hour are up 2.7% compared to this time last year.

The January and February reports were revised down which resulted in 50,000 less new jobs than previously reported.

All of that said, the U.S. economy is showing itself to be in solid shape, as it has been now for 8 years.

This isn't something new, something that Donald Trump has created. With 90 straight months now of positive growth, it's notable that the first 76 of those months were heavy-lifting under the Obama administration coming out of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

The good news is Trump's policies haven't had a negative effect as we continue on the same trajectory of the previous 7 years before him.

The bad news is wage growth is not being reflected in a way that most economists expect.

Republicans will always tell you jobs mean more money. And certainly having a job means having money.

But considering the healthy economic environment we're seeing, employers are not passing that on to employees in the form of higher wages.

In light of the current employment market, an increase of only 2.7% in hourly wages is on the measly side.

We'll see if the possible trade war with China has an impact on the U.S. jobs market in the next 6-8 months.

If you got over-excited about strong growth last month, this report should undo it: Payrolls about 100k below expectations, and revisions subtract another 50k.

Put it together: Over the past 3 months, job growth averaged a more reasonable +202k.

Roughly same as it has for years

— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) April 6, 2018

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Trump Tries To Take Full Credit For "Lowest" Unemployment Since 1973

Donald Trump recently tweeted that unemployment claims are "at the lowest level since 1973."

Now, at first read you would think (and the Trumpster would WANT you to think) that he deserves the credit for all that.

BUT - here are the facts.

Thanks to the 8 years of fiscal policies under George W. Bush, the United States fell into the worst financial crater since the Great Depression.

During Bush's last year in office the U.S. economy lost 5 million jobs. And that slide continued into Obama's first year in office as it takes several months for a new administration's policies to take effect.

Unemployment peaked at 10% during the Great Recession in October of 2009. Over the course of Obama's 8 years in office that number fell to 4.8%.

That's a drop of 5.2%.

See that big slide in the graph above?

Under Trump unemployment has fallen from 4.8% to 4.1%. That constitutes a decline of .7%.

See what the simple math shows?

Trump wants you to think he got us all the way down to 4.1% when in reality it was Obama who did the heavy lifting from 10% to 4.8%.

Got it?

Unemployment claims are at the lowest level since 1973. Much of this has to do with the massive cutting of unnecessary and job killing Regulations!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2018

January Jobs Report: 200K New Jobs But Black Unemployment Spikes

The new jobs report is out and there's good and bad news.

Good news is unemployment remains steady at 4.1%

The bad news is the black unemployment rate, which Donald Trump touts as being "the lowest rate ever recorded" spiked upwards more than a full percentage point.

Via Mediaite:

In Trump’s first year in office, he presided over a 1% decline in the black unemployment rate, which is really just the continuation of a 1% per-year decline that started under President Obama.

But now, it looks like Trump won’t have “record low” talking point to kick around anymore.

The January jobs report is in, and black unemployment has spiked, to 7.7 percent, more than one full percentage point higher than it was in December’s report.

Overall, the economy created 200,000 new jobs in January, not a bad number, with economists initially predicting job growth at around 180,000. It must be noted, however, this falls short of January 2017, in which the Barack Obama-led economy created 227,000 new jobs — though, technically, Trump was president for ten of those days.

Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2018

Jobs Report: 2017 Had Weakest Jobs Growth In 7 Years

The new jobs report from the Department of Labor is out today showing employers added 148,000 jobs in December missing the estimated 190,000 figure.

Additionally, the October and November numbers were down showing 9,000 less new jobs than previously reported.

Unemployment remains at 4.1%.

Interestingly, back in 2012, Trump told his followers we needed at least 300K new jobs a month for growth. December's number are less than half that.

Plus, it's worth noting that Trump's big claim to being president is his business acumen and job-creating ability. And yet, in his first year in office, he oversaw 2.06 million new jobs added to the U.S. economy while President Obama's last year showed 2.24 million new jobs.

The year 2017 represents the weakest year in job growth since 2010.

Even Fox News delivered the bad news.

Average Monthly #Job Gains
-by year

•2017: 171,000
•2016: 187,000
•2015: 226,000
•2014: 250,000
•2013: 192,000
•2012: 179,000
•2011: 174,000
•2010: 88,000#JobsReport

— Fox News Research (@FoxNewsResearch) January 5, 2018

The #JobsReport confirms what many Americans already know. The policies of @realDonaldTrump and his #GOP enablers have benefited the top 1%, but not the middle class. 2017 had the lowest average monthly job gains of any year since 2010. Democrats have a better deal. https://t.co/lPwxX8OHKV

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) January 5, 2018

I'm fine if Trump brags about his #JobsReport & the stock market, but I am not fine when he attacks Obama's numbers in doing so. The FACTS:

Jobs created in 2017 Trump: 2.06m

Jobs created in 2016 Obama: 2.24m

Obama Y1 Stock Market: Up 36.9%

Trump Y1 Stock Market: Up 27.3%

— Brian Krassenstein🐬 (@krassenstein) January 5, 2018

#Macys to cut 5,000 #jobs. Thank goodness #coal is roaring back, right @realDonaldTrump?#JobsReport #ThursdayThoughts #Economy https://t.co/5dAyDFwv0R

— Matt (@nosoupforgeorge) January 4, 2018

2017 Average Monthly Job Gains Lag Behind 2016

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. added 228,000 jobs in November 2018.

The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%.

While Donald Trump has touted his "job creation" skills, the fact is he has lagged behind the average number of jobs added each month during President Obama since the end of the Great Recession.

For instance, during Obama's last year in office, the economy averaged 190,000 new jobs a month while 2017 has averaged 174,000 a month.

Check out other year averages below.

Average Monthly Job Gains
-January through November
2017: +174,000
2016: +190,000
2015: +225,000
2014: +249,000
2013: +205,000
2012: +173,000
2011: +171,000
2010: +89,000

November #JobsReport

— Fox News Research (@FoxNewsResearch) December 8, 2017

Trump likes to take credit for everything with the economy. Maybe he'll take credit for the weakest job numbers in 5 years. #JobsReport https://t.co/VUAf3cDplj

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) December 8, 2017

BREAKING: Jan-Nov US job growth is WEAKEST in 5 years as @realDonaldTrump squanders the momentum he inherited from Obama, reports @FoxNews #MAGA #JobsReport https://t.co/pzAoC0bXyq

— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) December 8, 2017

Please Retweet Trump Will Hate This.The economy was stronger under Obama than Trump

Avg monthly job gain in 2016: 187k

Avg monthly job gain in 2017: 174k
Obama - Jobs created Feb.-Nov. 2016: 2.1 Million
Trump - Jobs created Feb.-Nov. 2017: 1.7 Million#JobsReport pic.twitter.com/UhXL9RuiQ5

— PoliticsVideoChannel (@politvidchannel) December 8, 2017

U.S. Loses 33,000 Jobs In September, First Job Losses In 83 Months Of Growth

The Labor Department released its official hiring and unemployment figures for September this morning.

This is the first report of job losses after 83 months of job growth.

From the New York Times:

■ The economy lost 33,000 jobs last month, the first monthly decline in employment in seven years. Wall Street economists had expected very modest employment gains of 80,000, according to Bloomberg.

■ The unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent. August’s jobless rate was 4.4 percent.

■ The average hourly wage grew by 0.45 percent, for a year-over-year gain of 2.9 percent.

■ Revised figures for July and August showed that a total of 38,000 fewer jobs were created in those two months than previously reported.

Experts blame the job losses on Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, but President Obama was able to maintain job growth through Hurricanes Matthew and Sandy.

#ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmm

Unemployment Inches Up In August As Job Growth Misses Expectations

Unemployment ticked up to 4.4% in August as the economy only added 156,000 jobs, missing the mark of an estimated 180,000 jobs.

Via CNBC:

Economists surveyed by Reuters had been expecting payrolls to grow by 180,000 in August and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 4.3 percent. A broader measure that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons also was unchanged at 8.6 percent.

In addition to missing estimates, previous months' job totals also were cut. June was revised down from 231,000 to 210,000 while July fell from the initially reported 209,000 to 189,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

Wage growth also was weak for the month, with average hourly earnings up 0.1 percent for an annualized rate of 2.5 percent. The average work week declined by 0.1 hour to 34.4 hours.

Donald Trump likes to tout his "job-creating" ability. But, just for giggles, let's compare the number of jobs added to the economy this year and last year during the same time period when Barack Obama was prez:

• 1st 8 months of 2016: 1,548,000

• 1st 8 months of 2017: 1,405,000

Now, if math serves me correctly, there were 148,000 more jobs created in the first 8 months of 2016 than 2017.

Trump's Flip-Flops On "Hoax" Unemployment Numbers

Last year, then-candidate Donald Trump called unemployment numbers "one of the biggest hoaxes in modern politics."

Today, only five months into his presidency, she told the world "the unemployment rate is at a very, very low level."

The "hoax" numbers are now magically real?

Trump: “You see the unemployment rate is at a very, very low level”

Last year he said it was “one of the biggest hoaxes in modern politics” pic.twitter.com/Zy7dkVTRjt

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 15, 2017

Unemployment Drops To 4.4%

Please note the curve downward throughout almost all of President Obama's 8 years in office.

Throughout the campaign, Donald Trump called this metric of measuring unemployment "fake."

Now that he's president he calls them "real," taking credit for the good news.

Via CNN:

The unemployment rate dropped to 4.4%, its lowest level since May 2007.

America added a solid 211,000 jobs in April, far surpassing the disappointing 79,000 jobs gained in March, according to Labor Department figures released Friday.

"It's a very strong report," says Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors. "We're nearing full employment in the US economy."

The low unemployment rate captures how far the US economy has come since the Great Recession ended in 2009, when unemployment hit 10%.

Many economists say the US is now at or near "full employment," meaning the unemployment rate won't go down significantly more. It's a state, where employers have to pay up to hire, because it becomes hard to find workers. That's why wage growth is expected to pick up.

Unemployment lowest in 10 years at 4.4% -- @ChristineRomans has the report https://t.co/zYg7nqpOzB https://t.co/9LK1u1kzOb

— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) May 5, 2017

Trump: Unemployment Numbers May Have Been Phony In The Past, But "Very Real Now"

After years of knocking unemployment reports from the Department of Labor Statistics as "phony," President Trump has a brand-new outlook now that he's in the White House.

"Don't believe these phony numbers," Trump told supporters early last year. "The number is probably 28, 29, as high as 35 [percent]. In fact, I even heard recently 42 percent."

But when White House spokesman Sean Spicer was asked about the past versus present on the topic of unemployment today, Spicer replied, “I talked to the President prior to this, and he said to quote him very clearly. 'They may have been phony in the past, but it’s very real now.'”

Watch below.

Spicer quotes President Trump on jobs report: "They may have been phony in the past, but it's very real now" https://t.co/FYAXm6dOwX

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) March 10, 2017

GOP: Last February's 242K New Jobs Was "Disappointing" But Feb 2017's 235K Is "Great"

The latest jobs report is out from the Department of Labor Statistics and the good news is the effects of the Obama years continues as the U.S. economy added 235,000 jobs, and unemployment fell to 4.7%

The Trump administration, of course, immediately attempted to take credit for the stats. As everyone knows, President Trump's economic policies have barely begun implementation. Plus, it takes months for policies to begin to affect the economy in a broad, significant manner.

I would note the fact that this February's numbers (235K) are very similar to the last two February's stats - February 2015 (238K) and February 2016 (237K). Kind of hard for Trump to take credit when we're basically on the same track; no real change of direction here.

And then there's the fact that just last year, Trump called this very same metric for unemployment "phony."

On February 9, 2016, Trump said in New Hampshire, "Don't believe those phony numbers when you hear 4.9 and 5 percent unemployment. The number's probably 28, 29, as high as 35. In fact, I even heard recently 42 percent."

But, just to show how the Republicans have been spinning job stats for years, take a look at GOP Congressman Kevin Brady's statements on both February 2016's jobs report and this year's.

Funny how 242,000 new jobs were described at "disappointing to see so little growth" in February of last year under Obama, but this year's 235,000 number rated "This is a great report."

Check out Brady's statements below.

Things that make you go "hmm..."

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Final Jobs Report For Obama Administration Shows 227,000 Jobs Added To Economy

Good news for the final month of President Obama's administration: the economy added a robust 227,000 jobs, well above last year's average monthly gain of 175,000.

This report accounts for 76 consecutive months of positive job growth - a run never seen in the history of the United States.

The unemployment rate moved up slightly to 4.8 from 4.7, mainly because more Americans started looking for work.

President Trump proudly boasted about the numbers, which is interesting since none of his policies had been implemented to have an effect on hiring.

Via The Huffington Post:

Trump used to love complaining about the Labor Department’s monthly report, which tallies the number of jobs gained and the unemployment rate.

The unemployment rate hovered around 5 percent for most of the presidential campaign, which economists consider a decently low number. “Don’t believe those phony numbers when you hear 4.9 and 5 percent unemployment,” Trump said last February. “The number’s probably 28, 29, as high as 35. In fact, I even heard recently 42 percent.”

But now, the same metric is suddenly real? #hypocrisy

Interestingly, Fox News suddenly found these numbers "fantastic" today when during the Obama administration better numbers than these were down played.

From Media Matters:

The positive coverage of the report is a complete turnaround for Fox, which went to great lengths to portray strong jobs reports in a negative light during the Obama administration.

In February 2015, the economy added 257,000 new jobs, but Fox was concerned that the unemployment rate ticked up by 0.1 points -- the same increase the rate showed in today’s report. In October of that year, Fox & Friends stumbled through a news alert in which a host claimed the economy created “only 271,000 jobs … last month” even though that report, like the data released today, also beat expectations. Last January, Fox’s spin was to claim that 292,000 new jobs was “modest by historical standards,” though it was well over this month’s 227,000.

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U.S. Economy Adds 156K Jobs In December, Extends Longest Job Growth In American History To 75 Months

The economy added 156,000 jobs in December, extending the longest streak of total job growth in U.S. history to 75 straight months, with U.S. businesses adding 15.8 million jobs over the recovery.

Average hourly earnings for all private workers increased 2.9 percent over the past year, the fastest twelve-month pace since the end of the recession and above the pace of inflation in 2016.

The unemployment rate has been cut by more than half since its peak in 2009, falling much faster and further than expected. After peaking at 10.0 percent in October 2009, the unemployment rate fell rapidly over the course of the recovery, and by mid-2015 had recovered fully to its pre-recession average. Since then, it has fallen even further, standing at 4.7 percent at the end of 2016.

And while we're at it, just a few more facts to add as Obama closes out his run as president:

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Unemployment Drops To 4.6% - Lowest Since August 2007

Remember all the cries by Obama bashers who called him "worst president ever!" and "he's made EVERYTHING worse!"

Well, I'm happy to report that the Bureau of Labor Statistics informs us today that the unemployment rate has dropped to 4.6% - the lowest rate since August 2007.

Kind of a funny definition of "the worst," huh?

By all metrics this is fantastic news for the U.S. considering the incredibly deep hole the Bush administration left the country in. As Bush departed the White House, the U.S. economy was hemorrhaging over 700,000 jobs a months for several months.

American businesses have added 15.6 million jobs over more than 6.5 years of job growth.

During the month of November, the U.S. economy saw total nonfarm employment increase by 178,000 jobs.

Additionally, reports show that average hourly earnings increased by 2.5% compared with 12 months ago.

Donald Trump says he's going to "make America great again." His mantra was "Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!"

Well, he's being handed an economy in pretty great shape.

If the unemployment rate goes anywhere but down, it will be a clear black mark on his administration.

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U.S.Economy Adds 161K Jobs In October, Unemployment Drops Under 5%

This should be welcome news for the Clinton campaign as we head into the final weekend of the presidential race. Wages up, unemployment down, and 15.5 million jobs added in the past 80 months.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the U.S. economy added 161,000 jobs in October.

Additionally, the numbers show hourly earnings have jumped 10 cents over the previous month. That accounts for a 2.8% rise over the past year, the fastest annual wage growth since the end of the recession.

More from NPR:

But the report also revised upward the job growth for August and September. August had been pegged at 167,000 new jobs and is now at 176,000; September had been reported as 156,000 and is now 191,000.

In total, that's 44,000 additional new jobs over those two months.

The unemployment rate ticked down slightly, back to 4.9 percent.

With unemployment moving further down and wages increasing, as Obama enjoys 54% approval ratings, this can only be seen as good news for Hillary Clinton.

Economy Adds 255,000 Jobs In July, Unemployment at 4.9%

From the Denver Post:

Employers added a healthy 255,000 jobs last month, a sign of confidence amid sluggish growth that points to a resilient U.S. economy.

The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate remained a low 4.9 percent in July. More Americans launched job searches, and nearly all were hired. But the influx of job seekers meant that the number of unemployed fell only slightly.

Average hourly pay picked up and is 2.6 percent higher than it was a year ago, matching the fastest pace since the recession.

Sales of existing homes reached a nine-year high in June, and sales of new homes accelerated to an eight-year high.

U.S. Economy Adds 287K Jobs In June - Unemployment Under 5% For Nine Straight Months

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning that the U.S. economy added 287,000 jobs in June.

The unemployment rate moved up .1 to 4.9%. The upward tick is actually good news as it means more people were actively looking for jobs.

These numbers show the unemployment rate has remained under 5% for nine months, the first such period in 8 years.

Last month was the 69th consecutive month of positive job growth - the longest continuous period of job growth in the U.S. in the country's history.

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