Trump's Team Reframes Disappointing Job Figures, Blaming Deportations for Decline

In a bid to reshape the narrative surrounding upcoming job statistics, President Donald Trump’s trade adviser has suggested that the anticipated low numbers reflect the success of the administration's immigration policies. “The job report’s going to come out tomorrow. We have to revise our expectations down significantly from what a monthly job number should look like,” stated White House senior trade adviser Peter Navarro during an appearance on Fox Business’s Mornings with Maria.

Navarro projected job growth to hover around 50,000 per month, a stark contrast to the six-figure figures seen during former President Joe Biden's tenure. He posited, without substantiation, that the robust job creation under Biden was primarily due to illegal immigrants occupying positions that could have gone to American workers, who subsequently found themselves filing for unemployment.

“When we were letting in 2 million illegal aliens…We had to produce 200,000 jobs a month for a steady state. And by the way, all of the jobs we were creating in Biden years were going to illegals. Americans were going to the unemployment lines,” Navarro asserted. “That’s totally reversed, and now 50,000 a month is going to be more like what we need.”

Despite Navarro's claims, the reality of unauthorized immigration is complex. The number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. reached a record high of 14 million in 2023, yet tracking how many newly created jobs went to these individuals remains elusive.

“So, Wall Street, when this stuff comes out, they can’t rain on that parade. They have to adjust for the fact that we’re deporting millions of illegals out of our job market,” Navarro continued, attempting to bolster his argument.

However, his calculations appear flawed. Reports indicate that approximately 393,000 immigrants have been apprehended since Trump resumed office last year. Furthermore, Navarro's assertions overlook the current U.S. unemployment rate, which has surged to a four-year high of 4.6 percent.

The Fox host seemed inclined to support Navarro’s perspective but acknowledged that it sounded as if he anticipated a “weak number” with the forthcoming jobs report. “No,” Navarro countered. “Not expecting a weak number. I’m just saying that going forward, when we see a number under 100,000, we don’t wring our hands. We say, ‘Yeah, that’s going to be a steady state.’ So it’s all good, Maria.”

This narrative aligns with comments made by White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. In a recent CNBC interview, Hassett suggested that strong GDP growth coupled with a notable reduction in the workforce due to illegal immigrants leaving could lead to lower job figures.

“I think that you should expect slightly smaller job numbers that are consistent with high GDP growth right now,” Hassett remarked. “And that one shouldn’t panic if you see a sequence of numbers that are lower than you’re used to because, again, population growth is going down and productivity growth is skyrocketing. It’s an unusual set of circumstances.”

During an interview aired on Super Bowl Sunday, Trump expressed pride in the U.S. economy. However, a recent survey revealed that nine out of ten Americans believe the nation is grappling with an inflation crisis, with eight in ten indicating that consumer goods have become more expensive since Trump took office.

The same survey conducted by Talker Research for Current.com found that 52 percent of respondents are struggling to keep up with their monthly expenses, highlighting widespread difficulties in affording basic necessities.