Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia praised the August jobs report of 1.4 million jobs added in August with unemployment dropping to 8.4% as a great way to head into Labor Day weekend.
“The experts watching the job markets were saying we wouldn’t get there until maybe late next year,” Scalia told “Fox & Friends” Monday.
FORMER OBAMA ECONOMIST ON AUGUST JOBS REPORT: SNAPBACK IN ECONOMY HAPPENING FASTER THAN EXPECTED
“Under the last administration during the so-called ‘great recession,’ our last economic downturn, it took 34 months, nearly three years to get unemployment down under 8.5%,” he explained. “The president, the country, we have done it in four months. So, it’s a very strong trend.”
Scalia credits President Trump’s decisions over the past year, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement that benefits states like Wisconsin, where he will be joining Vice President Mike Pence Monday to tout jobs added by the deal that replaced NAFTA.
FBN: US EMPLOYERS HIRED 1.4M IN AUGUST AS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS SHARPLY
“There were also the really important relief measures the president took on a bipartisan basis with Congress in March,” Scalia said. “One of those was unemployment relief.”
Congress and the White House struggled to compromise on a so-called “Phase 4” economic stimulus measure that would provide for extended unemployment benefits, so Trump signed a series of executive orders to help with unemployment relief.
“I can speak for the president who is determined to get Americans back to work, help those who are unemployed,” Scalia said. “In the meantime, I do get the impression at times that the Democratic leadership in Congress is not focused right now on doing what’s best for the country at this moment.”
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In a statement Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., claimed the August jobs report underscored the need for additional action and blamed Republicans for not realizing the scale of the crisis.
“Sadly, Republicans continue to demonstrate their utter contempt for the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans who are being devastated by Republicans’ deadly inaction,” she said. “The White House and Senate Republicans have made clear that they still do not comprehend the scale of this disaster or the urgent needs of our communities and the American people.”
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