Donald Trump was dealt a brutal pre-4th of July blow when the jobs report showed weaker-than-expected growth, with Americans souring on the president for his handling of the economy.
The U.S. added only 57,000 jobs in June, less than half of what forecasters had anticipated. Economists had anticipated that 115,000 jobs were added last month.
The latest jobs report also revised down the previous two months of job growth, including 31,000 fewer jobs than previously reported in April and 43,000 fewer jobs than were previously reported for May.
The leisure and hospitality industry shed 61,0000 jobs last month showing a weaker than usual hiring season heading into the summer months even as the World Cup had also been expected to give hiring a lift.
More than half the jobs added in June were in the health care and social assistance sector, which has been propping up much of the economy.
However, the unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 4.2 percent from 4.3 percent the month before, largely due to fewer people job hunting.
“The June jobs report is yet more evidence of a fragile economy under President Trump, with job growth coming in well below expectations and sizable downward revisions to the last two months,” said Angela Hanks, Chief of Policy Programs at The Century Foundation. “While the unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.2 percent, this number only tells us how many people are working—it doesn’t tell you whether people can afford to live."
Wage growth has not been keeping up with inflation, which soared because Trump decided to go to war with Iran, driving up energy costs. His fragile ceasefire and peace negotiations threaten to come apart at any minute.
For Americans back home, wages were up 3.5 percent in June from a year ago, while inflation is up 4.2 percent, outpacing increases in earnings.
“Working Americans increasingly report that their paychecks can’t keep up with Trump’s high prices, but are not confident they’ll be able to find better opportunities. They’re instead focused on trying to keep up with the president’s price hikes,” said Alex Jacquez, from the progressive Groundwork Collaborative.
Last month, the New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations found that nearly half of Americans (48 percent) believed their financial situation was worse in May than it was a year ago. It was the highest number since January 2023.
But Trump, who it was revealed raked in $2.2 billion in 2025 alone, has been touting the stock market rather than the economic data to crow about his economic success.
However, last month, approval of the president’s handling of the economy hit a record low, the NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found. Only a third (33 percent) of Americans approve of his handling of the economy. 60 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy.
