Friday’s jobs report showed the economy adding a strong 172,000 jobs and the unemployment rate holding at a low 4.3%. The headline numbers were very good overall. Both parties will try to spin the numbers to their advantage. A look at the details of the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and the trend over recent months, can reveal the truth about the health of the economy under President Donald Trump.
The underlying reality
It is helpful to look not just at the most recent month, but the trend of job growth over the past few months. With upward revisions to the numbers for March and April, the three-month moving average of job gains was 188,000 in May.
That is more than enough to keep up with population growth and to keep unemployment trending down.
Only a few thousand jobs each month are needed, thanks in large part to Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
