Under President Donald Trump's first few months in office during his second term, 99.8 percent of all job growth was in the private sector, in comparison to around 75 percent in the last two years of the Biden administration.
In a press release, the White House touted the jobs numbers, saying, "Since President Trump took office, 99.8% of job gains have been in the private sector. During the final two years of the Biden Administration, one in four jobs created were in government," or 25 percent of job growth.
The jobs report for the month of May saw 139,000 jobs added to the economy, surpassing expectations from the Dow Jones as some have had doubts about the impact that Trump's tariff policies would have on the economy.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said that "Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 139,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2 percent." BLS also said that "employment continued to trend up in health care, leisure and hospitality, and social assistance. Federal government continued to lose jobs."
In addition to the increase in jobs in the private sector, wages rose as well for those working non-government jobs. "Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 15 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $36.24 in May. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.9 percent. In May, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 12 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $31.18," the BLS added in the jobs report.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said of the report, “President Trump’s America First Economic Agenda has created a BOOMING economy — jobs are up, unemployment is down, wages are increasing, and inflation is dead. More than 139,000 good jobs were added to the private sector in May, all accounted for by American-born workers. Americans should continue to trust in President Trump, who continues to beat expectations."
