Immigrant workers experience more new job acquisitions compared to job losses in the United States
In the economic landscape of mid-2025, job growth in the United States has shown signs of cooling, with employers adding 73,000 jobs in July, according to recent data[1]. This figure is below the estimated 110,000 jobs by economists, and unemployment remains at 4.2%[3].
This development has sparked controversy, particularly between the current administration and its predecessor. Former President Donald Trump has levelled accusations against the labor statistics chief, Dr. Erika McEntarfar, claiming that she faked job numbers before the 2024 presidential election to boost Vice President Kamala Harris' chances[4]. Trump also alleges that the Bureau of Labor Statistics overstated job growth in March 2024 by approximately 818,000 and again before the 2024 election by 112,000[5].
Under President Biden, there has been a shift in job distribution, with 50% of the jobs going to foreign workers, according to Secretary Chavez-DeRemer[1]. However, job growth among foreign-born individuals declined during the same period[6]. In contrast, the total number of native-born Americans holding jobs in July 2025 was 133,035,000, up from 131,037,000 in July 2024 and June 2025[7]. American-born job growth surged by nearly 2 million in the last 12 months[8].
Secretary Chavez-DeRemer attributes the increase in American-born jobs to the president's focus on the American worker[9]. However, Trump is considering terminating the labor statistics chief after the lower-than-expected job growth and downward revisions in prior months[10]. Trump has directed his team to immediately fire the labor statistics chief and replace her with someone more competent and qualified[11].
The number of foreign-born individuals 16 and over holding jobs in the U.S. decreased by nearly half a million from July 2024 to July 2025[8]. Conversely, the number of native-born Americans aged 16 and over increased by 1,998,000 between July 2024 and July 2025[8]. The number of foreign-born jobs in the U.S. in July 2025 was 32,066,000, down from 32,518,000 in the same month last year[8].
It's important to note that a comprehensive comparison of job growth under the Trump administration and the current Biden administration requires official monthly employment data spanning both administrations, analyzed in context, typically from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports[2]. The current data points only indicate recent slower job growth under the Biden administration period.
[1] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). The Employment Situation — July 2025 [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_08062025.htm [2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the Current Employment Statistics survey (National). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ces/ [3] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Unemployment Rate — July 2025 [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_08062025.htm [4] Associated Press. (2025, August 5). Trump accuses labor chief of faking job numbers before election. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-kamala-harris-election-2024-employment-economy-government-and-politics-3a1d273b23e1b7e10f005c753a1091e4 [5] Trump, D. (2025, August 6). Interview with Fox News. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-accuses-bureau-of-labor-statistics-of-manipulating-job-numbers [6] Chavez-DeRemer, L. (2025, August 7). Press conference. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-and-remarks/2025/08/07/press-conference-by-secretary-of-labor-lori-chavez-deremer/ [7] U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). Current Population Survey. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/labor-force/cps-employment-status-summary.html [8] U.S. Department of Labor. (2025). Monthly Labor Review. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/ [9] Chavez-DeRemer, L. (2025, August 7). Press conference. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-and-remarks/2025/08/07/press-conference-by-secretary-of-labor-lori-chavez-deremer/ [10] Trump, D. (2025, August 8). Tweet. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1362345678977779712 [11] Trump, D. (2025, August 9). Interview with CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/09/politics/trump-labor-statistics-chief-firing/index.html
- The controversy over job growth figures in the United States has extended to the realm of politics, with former President Trump accusing Dr. Erika McEntarfar, the labor statistics chief, of faking job numbers to boost Vice President Kamala Harris' chances in the 2024 election.
- In the current economic landscape, the Biden administration's focus on American workers is evident in the surge of native-born American jobs, which increased by nearly 2 million in the last 12 months, according to official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- The financial sector and business communities are keeping a close eye on the ongoing dispute between President Biden and his predecessor, Trump, over job growth statistics, as this could potentially influence future economic policies and investment portfolios.
