President Biden Created Over 6.6 Million Jobs During His First Year In Office
From the moment he took office, President Biden has been determined to deliver for American families by getting shots in arms, money in pockets, and people back to work. Despite the devastating Omicron surge, the January jobs numbers are a welcome signal that the economy continues to move in the right direction.
The new job numbers make clear that President Biden is doing what’s necessary to get the economy back on track, and by getting Americans back on their feet, we’re moving closer to putting an end to this crisis.
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Added 467,000 Jobs In January. “Joblessness remains at a historically low level reflecting companies’ need for workers in a growing economy. The labor force participation rate rose to 62.2%, the highest level since the pandemic hit in early 2020. Many workers are reaping their largest pay gains in years…” [Wall Street Journal, 2/4/22]
Washington Post: U.S. Added 467,000 Jobs In January Despite Omicron Variant Surge. “In addition to the robust January, the Department of Labor also more than doubled its tabulations of jobs gains for November and December…That means that there were some 700,000 more jobs added at the end of last year than previously estimated — showing a labor market with considerable momentum heading into the new year.” [Washington Post, 2/4/22]
CNBC: Payrolls Show Surprisingly Powerful Gain Of 467,000 In January Despite Omicron Surge. “Along with the big upside surprise for January, massive revisions sent previous months considerably higher. December, which initially was reported as a gain of 199,000, went up to 510,000. November surged to 647,000 from the previously reported 249,000. For the two months alone, the initial counts were revised up by 709,000. The revisions came as part of the annual adjustments from the BLS that saw sizeable changes for many of the months in 2021. Those changes brought the 2021 total to 6.665 million, easily the biggest single-year gain in U.S. history.” [CNBC, 2/4/22]
MarketWatch: U.S. Gains 467,000 Jobs In January And Hiring Was Much Stronger At End Of 2021 Despite Omicron. “The U.S. added a robust 467,000 jobs in January and hiring was much stronger at the end of 2021 than originally reported, pointing to the resilience of a rapidly recovering economy despite successive waves of the coronavirus.” [MarketWatch, 2/4/22]
CNN: Surprisingly Strong Jobs Report: America Adds 467,000 Positions In January. “The report blew expectations out of the water. The consensus forecast had been for only 150,000 jobs. Plenty of economists even expected job losses, warning that business closures and worker absenteeism in jobs without sick leave could lead to people being counted as unemployed. A similar dynamic played out last winter, when rising infections temporarily weighed on the jobs recovery in December 2020.” [CNN, 2/4/22]
Axios: Jobs Stunner: January Growth Surges Despite Omicron. “Employers added 467,000 jobs last month, despite millions out sick. It’s rare for any jobs numbers to be stunning, but these were. They leave little doubt that this remains a tight job market in which employers are doing everything they can to hold on to their workers… This is an incredibly strong labor market that is poised to strengthen further as Omicron fades.” [Axios, 2/4/22]
Bloomberg: US Job Growth Blows Past Estimates, Defying Gloom Over Omicron. “Nonfarm payrolls increased 467,000 in January in a broad-based advance that followed substantial upward revisions to the prior two months, a Labor Department report showed Friday… The surprise display of strength suggests the labor market continues to improve, despite the temporary disruption from record-high levels of coronavirus infections and the resulting absenteeism from work.” [Bloomberg, 2/4/22]
AP: US Economy Defies Omicron And Adds 467,000 Jobs In January. “The overall outlook for the job market remains bright, with openings near a record high, the pace of layoffs down and the unemployment rate having already reached a healthy level. The nation gained more jobs last year, adjusted for the size of the workforce, than in any year since 1978.” [AP, 2/4/22]
Reuters: U.S. Labor Market Posts Strong Job Gains Despite Omicron Surge. “The labor market resilience could alter expectations that economic growth would slow significantly in the first quarter after robust growth in the fourth quarter.” [Reuters, 2/4/22]
NPR: In A Big Surprise, The Job Market Surged In January Even As Omicron Cases Spiked. “Employers added 467,000 jobs last month, according to a new tally from the Labor Department, far outpacing even the most optimistic forecasts. The gains came despite a surge in COVID-19 cases tied to the omicron variant… Revised figures also show job gains in November and December were significantly larger than initially reported. That suggests the economy had more momentum coming into the new year and weathered the latest pandemic punch with far less pain than expected.” [NPR, 2/4/22]
Politico: Biden Takes Victory Lap With January Jobs Report. “President Joe Biden sounded a triumphant note Friday after the monthly jobs report came in significantly above expectations. ‘America’s job machine is going stronger than ever,’ Biden said at the White House… Biden said that with Friday’s news, the economy has added more than 6.6 million jobs over his first year in office.” [Politico, 2/4/22]
ABC News: Biden Touts Stronger Than Expected Jobs Report: ‘America Is Back To Work.’ “The January jobs report released Friday shows a strong American economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 467,000 jobs were added in January — much higher than economists’ expectations that 150,000 jobs would be added. The unemployment rate was little changed at 4%. In a rare, positive revision, the report also showed that 709,000 more jobs were added in the previous two months than previously reported as data collection has been impacted in the pandemic.” [ABC News, 2/4/22]
The Guardian: US Appears To Shake Off Omicron And Adds Nearly Half A Million Jobs. “The US economy appeared to shake off the Omicron variant in January as employers added 467,000 new jobs, the labor department reported on Friday… Joe Biden celebrated the jobs news in a speech in Washington. ‘America is back to work,’ Biden said. ‘History’s been made here…’ Covid infections have fallen sharply across the US since the report was compiled.” [The Guardian, 2/4/22]
USA Today: Economy Added 467,000 Jobs In January Despite Omicron Surge, Unemployment Rose To 4%. “The big jump in the labor force despite omicron suggests Americans who have been fearful of the virus, caring for their children or living off stimulus checks or other aid may finally be returning to a robust labor market… Leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants and bars, led the job gains with 151,000, a sign of strength after the pandemic hit them hardest. Professional and business services added 86,000; retail, 61,000; transportation and warehousing, 54,000.” [USA Today, 2/4/22]