“America added 162,000 jobs in August — triple economists’ expectations. The private sector has now created over one million jobs under President Trump, whose reindustrialization agenda continues to drive manufacturing and factory construction job growth. America is in the middle of a historic investment boom, and the August jobs report is the latest data point showing how Americans are benefitting from the Trump administration’s pro-growth policies. The best is yet to come with even more job, wage, and economic growth in store for everyday Americans.”
— White House spokesman Kush Desai
President Donald J. Trump’s agenda is working — and the latest jobs report proves it. Factories are hiring, construction is booming, wages are rising, and the private sector — not government — is driving the boom.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August — nearly triple economists’ expectations (again) — for the second-largest monthly gain of President Trump’s second term.
- Main Street Wins: More than one million private-sector jobs have been created in President Trump’s second term, while federal employment remains at its lowest share of the workforce on record.
- Factory Comeback: After years of Biden-era decline, manufacturers added 16,000 jobs last month — the strongest monthly gain in three years — and 58,000 jobs this year, powered by huge demand for pharmaceutical and defense production, data center construction, and semiconductor plants
- Construction Boom: Construction added 22,000 jobs last month, with factory construction jobs up nearly 100,000 in President Trump’s second term as companies make products in America again.
- Opportunity Rising: Labor force participation increased at its strongest level in almost a year last month.College graduate unemployment remains a rock-solid 2.7%, while black unemployment posted its second monthly decline.
- Paychecks Climbing: Private-sector workers saw average weekly earnings rise last month — up 3.7% over the year.
Here’s what they’re saying:
- National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett: “It’s a really blockbuster number… Tariffs are making people onshore activity; the expensing is making people want to invest like crazy, and that’s creating construction jobs and also beginning to show up in factory jobs.”
- Council of Economic Advisers Chair Chris Phelan: “The manufacturing boom — the non-residential construction boom — is real, and it’s showing up in the data. It’s showing up in the data for capital expenditures. It’s showing up in the jobs data.”
- Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long: “What a ‘wow’ jobs report.”
- Fitch Ratings Head of U.S. Economics Olu Sonola: “This is an unequivocally strong report…”
- CNBC’s Rick Santelli: “Manufacturing jobs — the renaissance continues.”
- Bloomberg’s Enda Curran: “Woah, that is a huge number.”
- Economist E.J. Antoni: “YUGE beat on jobs in Aug, not only b/c payrolls jumped 217k, but also b/c the number of folks employed roared higher by 569k and those not in the labor force dipped more than half a million; people flooded back into the labor market and were able to get jobs”
- Economist Steve Moore: “It’s blue-collar jobs — construction and manufacturing. We’re building things again in America.”
- Fwdbonds Chief Economist Chris Rupkey: “Net, net, the labor market is alive and well and generating thousands of new jobs to help keep economic growth squarely in the plus column.”
- Economist Mohamed A. El-Erian: “The latest US jobs report came in significantly stronger than expected across both sides of the labor market: demand and supply… Together, these indicators point to a US labor market that remains robust with firm demand and is stabilization on the supply side.”
- KPMG Chief Economist Diane Swonk: “This is a summer heat wave.”
- Bloomberg Senior Editor Chris Anstey: “Oooh a big blowout number for payrolls!”
- Carson Group Chief Macro Strategist Sonu Varghese: “August payrolls were strong across the board, including in cyclical sectors like construction and manufacturing.”
- CNN Senior Reporter Matt Egan: “The US economy adding 162,000 jobs last month — that more than doubled the consensus forecast… In fact, this most jobs that the economy has added in a month since March.”
