President Joe Biden delivered a speech seeking to put Friday’s weak April jobs report “in perspective” after the increase in jobs fell far below expectations.
Biden was more than 20 minutes late in delivering the speech Friday morning, just hours after the jobs report went public. The economy added just 266,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.1 percent, according to the Department of Labor. (RELATED: Consumer Prices Have Skyrocketed In Recent Months. Experts Say It’s Just The Beginning)
“We never thought that after the first 50 or 60 days everything would be fine,” Biden began. “Today there is more evidence that our economy is moving in the right direction, but it’s clear we have a long way to go.”
“I want to put today’s job’s report in perspective,” Biden says as remarks begin. https://t.co/NBM1aaxzJ0
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) May 7, 2021
“This month’s job numbers show we’re on the right track. We still have a long way to go.”
— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) May 7, 2021
Biden says today’s disappointing jobs report shows the economy is continuing to improve, but says “it’s clear we have a long way to go”
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) May 7, 2021
Biden went on to argue that Friday’s jobs report is evidence that his American Rescue Plan was necessary. The plan sent billions in direct payments to Americans across the country, as well as support for small businesses and local and state governments.
Biden said the report also underscored America’s need for his American Jobs Plan, a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that has received staunch opposition from Republicans in Congress.
“My laser focus is on vaccinating our country, and we’re making continued progress,” Biden concluded. “My laser focus is on one more thing: Making sure working people in this country, hardworking people are no longer left out in the cold.”
Watch the president’s full remarks below: