President Trump’s campaign vow to create millions of new jobs propelled him to the White House. Let’s take a look at how he’s meeting those promises since taking office.
Trump frequently boasts about U.S. employment numbers and often overstates his role in creating new jobs. Even the official White House website exaggerated the number of positions created. While U.S. job growth increased in 2017, economists connect the stronger economic outlook to policies overseen by former President Obama, and designed by Janet Yellen, but not Trump. If anything, the president’s policies negatively impact the economy.
And if Congress enacts the president’s budget, unemployment will skyrocket. The proposal asks federal agencies to cut an enormous number of jobs. If the president gets his way, more than 2 million Americans—nearly the same size as the population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area—will lose their jobs over the next year.
The president also conveniently ignores data that undermine his projections of job growth –choosing to stay mum when companies shutter factories or outsource. Under Trump’s watch, approximately 60,000 individuals who work in the retail industry lost their jobs, and it appears the layoffs will continue. People working in retail are not the only ones lining up in the unemployment line. Trump claimed outsourcing would end during his presidency. Since January 20, corporations have cost nearly 12,000 people their jobs by outsourcing work.
Since the election Trump has issued many misleading or altogether false proclamations that he is responsible for new jobs at factories across the country. For instance, he credits his economic proposals for jobs that are a result of years-long negotiations by unions of working people. He crowed about his influence in bringing Ford manufacturing jobs back to the United States. In reality, the men and women of the United Auto Workers negotiated with Ford to create 130 new positions at a Michigan plant back in 2015. Before the presidential election, Charter Communications announced in October 2016 it would hire 20,000 people. Last month, Trump took credit for Charter’s hiring plans, despite “little evidence” he had anything to do the telecommunications company’s business operations.
How can Trump consider himself a champion for jobs and working people when his record suggests otherwise? Millions of people voted for Trump because they want the return of good jobs, policies that combat outsourcing and offshoring, and an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few. Millions of people voted against him for the same reasons. The president’s first 100 days in office amount to broken promises and a broken record of lies about job growth and creation. President Trump may not like to hear it, but the citizens of this country are the president’s boss.
It’s not too late for us to hold him accountable. Here are just a few ways to make your voice heard:
- Contact your representatives in Congress to oppose Trump’s budget, which would kill 2 million jobs.
- Support women and men as they join together in union to create good jobs. Joining in union means higher wages, a safer workplace, and better benefits.
- Join a May Day protest on May 1. Working people will unite en masse to speak up for family sustaining jobs and an end to corporate greed.
