Biden hails strong June jobs report, takes jab at Trump

President Biden on Friday hailed the June jobs report, which showed the U.S. economy added 372,000 jobs, noting that there are more jobs in the U.S. than at any time under former President Trump.

“In the second quarter of this year, we created more jobs than in any quarter under any of my predecessors in the nearly 40 years before the pandemic. We have more Americans working in the private sector today than any day during Donald Trump’s Presidency — more people than any time in our history,” Biden said in a statement.

The president also attributed the jobs report to the American Rescue Plan, which he signed into law early in his administration and which Republicans have criticized as a reason for the high inflation in the U.S.

“This has been the fastest and strongest jobs recovery in American history, and it would not have been possible without the decisive action my Administration took last year to fix a broken COVID response, and pass the American Rescue Plan to get our economy back on track,” Biden said.

The unemployment rate held steady at 3.6 percent in the jobs reported released on Friday, with growth in June far exceeding the projections of economists. The unemployment rate remained just 0.1 percentage points from its pre-pandemic level of 3.5 percent, which was a 50-year low.

Biden has argued that the U.S. is in a better position to combat inflation than any other country and called on Congress to take steps to lower inflation, like lowering the cost of prescription drugs and utilities, reducing the federal budget deficit and passing the Bipartisan Innovation Act.

“Of course, having added a record number of new jobs, and achieved historically low levels of unemployment, additional job growth from this strong position will be slower. That is not a bad thing, because our economy should move to stable growth for the years ahead,” he said.

The innovation act, also known as the China competition bill, is a top priority of the White House. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been trying to block the bipartisan legislation over Democrats moving forward with a separate reconciliation package.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.