With only four days left before Election Day, the latest unemployment figures released by the federal government have sparked criticism from former President Donald Trump's campaign directed at Vice President Kamala Harris. The report revealed that only 12,000 jobs were created in October, significantly lower than the anticipated 120,000 and the lowest in four years.
The sluggish job growth was attributed to various factors, including the impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Boeing strike, and other labor disputes. Despite the reasons behind the poor numbers, the Trump campaign wasted no time in using the data to attack Harris, as both presidential nominees are engaged in a tight race in key battleground states.
Reacting swiftly on social media, the Trump campaign labeled the report as 'BRUTAL' and highlighted coverage from news networks. The national press secretary for the campaign, Karoline Leavitt, described the jobs report as a 'catastrophe' and blamed Harris for the economic downturn.
Job creation has been a positive aspect for the Biden-Harris administration, amid overall negative public sentiment on the economy due to persistent inflation. President Biden, in a statement following the release of the Labor Department report, pointed out that the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.1%.
The disappointing job numbers have intensified the political rhetoric in the final days leading up to the election, with both campaigns seeking to leverage the economic data to sway undecided voters.
