Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer insisted the job market is strengthening despite new signs of economic softness, even as unemployment rose to its highest level since 2021.
Chavez-DeRemer argued the uptick in unemployment is evidence that “more people are getting off the sidelines, and they’re looking for those jobs,” framing the increase as a positive rather than a warning sign.
“The president has created over 650,000 jobs since he took office in the private sector and most to native-born Americans. That is positive for the American economy,” she said in an interview on “Mornings with Maria” Thursday.
“When we count [the] unemployment rate, you have to be looking for a job. Well, this tells us that more people are getting off the sidelines, and they’re looking for those jobs,” Chavez-DeRemer continued. “And that’s the exciting part.”
JOBS REPORT REVISION FLIPS TRUMP-ERA GAIN TO LOSS — AND IT’S FUELING BAD POLL NUMBERS
On Tuesday, the Labor Department reported that employers added 64,000 jobs in November – more than economists expected – while the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.6%, the highest since September 2021.
“So, more people in the workforce looking, that unemployment might tick up,” Chavez-DeRemer further defended. “But I think the exciting parts were creating those new jobs with all the investments in Make America Skilled Again. Despite a 43-day shutdown by these Democrats, the president’s momentum has not stopped.”
When pressed about whether AI-driven efficiencies eliminating jobs were reflected in the latest jobs numbers, she denied any connection.
“It’s not a function of AI, again, because we want to make sure that we’re answering the call, these market demands,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “Post-COVID, there [were] a lot of companies who increased their employee growth numbers. And maybe they’re laying off for those reasons, and they have to answer that to the American people.”
“What we’re doing is focusing on the apprenticeship program … We’ve registered almost 300,000 new apprentices. We’re answering the call for 700,000 jobs in electricians, machinists, plumbers, pipe fitters.”
“We want to make sure the trades are prepared and that we can build the data centers that are going to make the call to AI. It’s not just the coders, it’s just not the software developers,” the secretary explained. “We think about the data centers that are being built, we need the skilled tradesmen and craftsmen in this country.”
Chavez-DeRemer reiterated President Donald Trump’s claim in his address to the nation Wednesday that the administration is laying the groundwork for $18 trillion in wage and job growth and national security.
“I can tell you the president has come from behind [from] what the Biden administration left. And he has increased it and put those dollars in Americans’ pockets, what they deserved and what they earned.”
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