The Labor secretary defends rising unemployment as a sign of a tight job market
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to break down the latest jobs data, growing unemployment concerns, the impact of AI on the workforce and the agency’s new efforts to combat growing unemployment fraud.
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer emphasized that the job market is strengthening despite new signs of economic softening, as unemployment rose to its highest level since 2021.
Chavez-DeRemer said the rise in unemployment is proof that “a lot of people are coming out of the sidelines, and they’re looking for those jobs,” framing the increase as a positive rather than a warning sign.
“The president has created more than 650,000 jobs since he took office in the private sector and most of them are from America. That is good for the American economy,” he said in an interview with Mornings with Maria on Thursday.
“If we count [the] unemployment rate, you have to look for a job. This tells us that a lot of people are coming off the sidelines, and they’re looking for those jobs,” Chavez-DeRemer continued. “And that’s the fun part.”
JOBS REPORT UPDATE CUTS TRUMP-ERA GAIN TO LOSSES — AND FUELS NEGATIVE NUMBERS
On Tuesday, the Labor Department reported that employers added 64,000 jobs in November – more than economists expected – and the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, the highest since September 2021.
People line up as they wait for the opening ceremony at Amerint Bank Arena on June 26, 2024, in Sunrise, Florida. (Getty Images)
“Therefore, many people at work are not looking, that unemployment may continue,” Chavez-DeRemer continued to defend. “But I think the exciting part has been creating those new jobs with all the investment in Make America Skilled Again. Despite the 43-day shutdown by these Democrats, the president’s momentum hasn’t stopped.”
When pressed on whether the AI-driven efficiency of eliminating jobs was reflected in the latest job numbers, he denied there was a connection.
“It’s not an AI job, either, because we want to make sure we’re answering the call, these market demands,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “Post-COVID, there [were] Many companies have increased the numbers of employee growth. And maybe they sacrificed themselves for those reasons, and they have to answer that to the American people. “
The ‘Mornings with Maria’ jobs panel breaks down the November jobs report.
“What we’re doing is focusing on the apprenticeship program … We’ve enrolled nearly 300,000 new students. We’re answering the call for 700,000 jobs for electricians, machinists, plumbers, plumbers.”
“We want to ensure that commerce is prepared and that we can build data centers that will make the call to AI. It’s not just coders, it’s not just software developers,” explained the secretary. “Thinking about the data centers that are being built, we need skilled tradesmen and professionals in this country.”
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‘Kudlow’ panelists give their takeaways from the White House jobs report and the economic impact of falling energy prices.
Chavez-DeRemer reiterated President Donald Trump’s claim in his address to the nation on Wednesday that the administration is laying the foundation for $18 billion in wages and job growth and national security.
“I can tell you that the president is coming from behind [from] left by the Biden administration. And he has expanded and put those dollars in the pockets of the American people, what they deserve and what they get. “
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