White House downplays November rise in unemployment, highlights private gains

The White House on Tuesday sought to recast a dour November jobs report as a sign of economic progress, shrugging off an uptick in the nation’s unemployment rate and other potential hints of weakness. The government reported the jobless rate rose to 4.6 percent in November, up from 4.4 percent in the last gauge in September and the highest in four years.

The report showed wage growth slowed to a pace not seen since 2021, more people working part time despite wanting full-time work, and others wanting a job but not looking. In the first full jobs report since the federal shutdown, private-sector employers added 64,000 jobs in November, reversing an October decline; the two-month period saw the federal government shed 168,000 jobs.

Top White House aides, including Kevin Hassett of the National Economic Council, said the uptick partly reflected more workers seeking jobs and pointed to private-sector strength. The White House posted "THE BEST IS YET TO COME!" and the Council of Economic Advisers highlighted select data such as private-sector job gains and more people re-entering the labor force.

The administration also touted rising investment and said average private-sector weekly earnings were on track to rise to 4.2 percent during Mr. Trump’s first year, though the government found wage growth slowed to 3.5 percent in November.

Key Topics

Politics, Trump Administration, Unemployment Rate, November Jobs Report, Kevin Hassett, National Economic Council