The initial months of President Donald Trump’s second term have presented a challenging economic landscape, particularly concerning job growth, which has experienced its slowest three-month period since the depths of the coronavirus pandemic.

A direct comparison reveals a significant disparity: the US economy added fewer than half the jobs in Trump’s first six months compared to what President Joe Biden’s administration achieved in his final six months. This stark difference highlights a notable shift in the job market’s trajectory.

Federal data indicates that between February and July, the nation’s economic slowdown resulted in only 486,000 new jobs created, a stark contrast to the 1.05 million generated in the preceding six months under Biden. This translates to a monthly average of 175,000 jobs under Biden versus a mere 81,000 under Trump.

President Trump, despite facing these figures, continues to assert that the US economy is “BOOMING.” He has publicly criticized the accuracy of job numbers and demanded the immediate dismissal of a “Biden Political Appointee” responsible for these statistics, also blaming the Federal Reserve for its interest rate policies.

Beyond job growth, the inflation trends under Trump’s initial months also merit scrutiny. While inflation had been consistently decreasing under Biden, averaging 2.7% in his final six months, Trump’s period has seen an average of 2.5%, with a noticeable upward trend attributed to his newly imposed tariffs as part of a renewed trade war.

The unemployment rate, tracked separately from job reports, edged up slightly to 4.2%. However, the White House has underscored that despite slower job market expansion, there is still growth, with inflation cooling and wages increasing, framing it as a positive outcome of President Trump’s “America First” agenda.

Experts and business owners point to Trump’s signature presidential economic policy of tariffs on imported goods as a likely drag on overall US economy activity. These tariffs are widely predicted to increase consumer prices and impede hiring, contributing to the slower job creation figures.

The Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell, have been frequent targets of Trump’s criticism. Trump blames Powell for keeping interest rates elevated, a measure initially implemented during Biden’s presidency to combat inflation. Powell, conversely, is reportedly maintaining higher rates due to concerns that Trump’s tariffs will reignite inflation, illustrating a contentious relationship between the administration and the central bank.

The latest jobs report underscored the economic challenges, showing a lower-than-expected 73,000 jobs added in April. More significantly, the preliminary numbers for May and June were revised downward by a combined 258,000 jobs, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics noting these revisions were “larger than normal,” reflecting the dynamic and often fluid nature of economic data reporting.