President Joe Biden says the United States has a “long way to go” after a disappointing jobs report.
“This morning, we learned that our economy created 266,000 jobs in April. It hadn’t been adjusted again yet, but that’s what it says, 266, and listening to commentators today… you might think that we should be disappointed,” Biden said while delivering remarks on Friday.
He added, “But when we passed the American Rescue Plan, I want to remind everybody, it was designed to help us over the course of a year not 60 days, a year. We never thought that after the first 50 or 60 days, everything would be fine. There’s more evidence that our economy is moving in the right direction, but it’s clear we have a long way to go.”
Watch his remarks below:
President Biden on the April jobs report: “There’s more evidence that our economy is moving in the right direction, but it’s clear we have a long way to go.” pic.twitter.com/8DG13H6Fk3
— The Recount (@therecount) May 7, 2021
The 266,000 jobs is significantly less than the 916,000 jobs expected to be added in March.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) took to Twitter to react to the jobs report and take a swipe at Biden.
“Today’s jobs report is a disappointment—just like President Biden’s plan to burden families with more taxes and more debt,” McCarthy wrote.
He added, “While Dems trap people in a cycle of fear and pay them NOT to work, it’s clear the best thing to do is end the crisis-era policies and get Americans back to work.”
Today’s jobs report is a disappointment—just like President Biden’s plan to burden families with more taxes & more debt.
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) May 7, 2021
While Dems trap people in a cycle of fear & pay them NOT to work, it’s clear the best thing to do is end the crisis-era policies & get Americans back to work.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) tweeted, “You can’t pay people not to work and expect to have a great jobs report. But that’s what President Biden is doing.”
You can’t pay people not to work and expect to have a great jobs report.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) May 7, 2021
But that’s what President Biden is doing. https://t.co/bTCUU2u6Pb
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) accused Biden of “derailing the economic recovery.”
Disastrous jobs numbers today – Joe Biden is derailing the economic recovery https://t.co/1zRgE8XzGq
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) May 7, 2021
The president also argued, “When we came into office, we knew we were facing a once-in-a-century pandemic and a once-in-a-generation economic crisis. And we knew this wouldn’t be a sprint, it would be a marathon.”