In response to the September jobs report showing that the U.S. economy added 254,000 jobs last month, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released the following statement:
Today’s extremely robust jobs report shows that the Biden–Harris administration continues to deliver for working people. The bulk of the 254,000 new jobs that were created in September were in middle-class sectors, including health care, child care and elder care, and construction. With unemployment falling to 4.1% and inflation declining, the Biden–Harris economy is boosting working people and creating opportunity for all.
The wins reflected in the jobs report for last month are a result of the Biden–Harris administration’s relentless focus on building an economy that works for working people. Since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office nearly four years ago, they have created nearly 16 million jobs, including almost 800,000 in manufacturing and nearly 900,000 in construction, reduced unemployment, and taken important steps to fight corporate greed and slash the costs of everyday bills like prescription drugs and energy. And they have consistently been the most pro-union administration in history, saving the pensions of more than 1 million workers, giving millions of workers a raise by expanding overtime, ensuring that once-in-a-generation investments in infrastructure, technology and clean energy jobs of the future are good union jobs, and having workers’ backs on the picket line and at the bargaining table—most recently, by supporting the members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) on the East and Gulf ports in their strike.
In contrast, working people stand to lose all these gains and much more if Donald Trump becomes president again. Trump’s economy was defined by a giant tax giveaway for the rich while stiffing working people out of overtime pay. He shipped a record number of American jobs overseas. And time and time again, he union-busted from the Oval Office by hiring anti-union corporate lawyers like Eugene Scalia to run his Department of Labor and stacking the National Labor Relations Board against working people. Trump’s devastating Project 2025 Agenda would eliminate Biden–Harris investments that created jobs in manufacturing, construction and other industries while slashing workers’ wages, benefits, and protections even more so than during his previous term.
This election, America will decide between Kamala Harris, a key partner with unions in creating the worker-centered economy reflected in today’s jobs report, and Donald Trump, who would rip all of the gains we’ve made away. For working people, the choice couldn’t be clearer, which is why the labor movement is running our largest voter mobilization in history to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Contact: Prerna Jagadeesh, [email protected] or 202-637-5018