Congressman David Schweikert revealed the truth about job numbers after an update was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which claimed the economy under outgoing President Joe Biden added 256,000 jobs in the month of December.

“As we transition to a new administration, the December jobs report provides an essential opportunity to assess the economic policies of the Biden administration and the challenges facing hardworking Americans,” stated Schweikert, Vice Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee.

“While the December data demonstrates strong employment growth, having increased 2.2 million in 2024, the report underscores persistent issues that demand immediate attention,” added Schweikert.

“Under the Biden administration, American families have faced unprecedented economic headwinds, including inflation rates that outpaced wage growth for much of the last four years. Policies prioritizing excessive spending and burdensome regulations have strained small businesses, stifled innovation, and eroded purchasing power. While there have been temporary gains in certain heavily subsidized sectors, the broader economic foundation remains unstable,” concluded an exasperated Schweikert.

In a post to X, the Joint Economic Committee Republicans summarized, “In December, employment rose by 256K, averaging a monthly gain of 186K in 2024. While these gains are notable, challenges remain: an unemployment rate above 4% for the past 8 months and a historically low labor force participation rate.”

In his remarks Friday, Schweikert added, “It’s imperative that we prioritize policies which foster economic growth, encourage innovation, empower domestic businesses, and restore confidence in our markets.”

He added, “Reducing government overreach, prioritizing fiscal responsibility, and enacting tax reform that incentivize investment while rewarding hard work are the most crucial facets of restoring American prosperity.”

“I am committed to working with my colleagues to enact solutions that address these economic challenges and create a thriving future for all Americans. Together, we can ensure that 2025 is the beginning of a stronger, more resilient future for all Americans.”

The update from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is infamously subject to revision as well. This proved to be a factor that badly hurt the Biden administration and the Kamala Harris campaign in August 2024 when the BLS estimate of new jobs created between March of 2023 and March of 2024 was revised down by almost 818,000 or about 30%. The release was allegedly intended after November 5th but was leaked according to President-elect Donald Trump.

Rep. Jodey Arrington, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, observed at the time, “Based on more comprehensive data released from state unemployment tax records, the Biden Bureau of Labor Statistics acknowledges they were way off on the number of new jobs created between March of 2023 and March of 2024 by almost one million or 30%, which is five times their average margin of error. The economy is the top issue in this presidential race and the recent downwardly revised job numbers taken together with persistently high prices and interest rates bellies a much weaker Biden-Harris economy than we were led to believe.”

Accusations that the Biden White House deliberately inflated the jobs numbers abounded with President-elect Donald Trump addressing the revision directly calling it a “total lie,” and “a scandal.”

Trump told supporters in Asheboro, NC, at the time, “The Harris-Biden Administration has been caught fraudulently manipulating job statistics to hid the true extent of the economic ruin that they’ve inflicted on America.”

Schweikert’s office provided a few highlights of the BLS report, noting that the outgoing legacy of the Biden administration will be marked by:

• “Real wages failing to keep pace with inflation, leaving many families burdened with record-high levels of credit card debt and preventing the ability to grow savings.
• A labor force participation rate that has struggled to recover to pre-pandemic levels, leaving millions of Americans sidelined from economic opportunities.
• The failure to address workforce development, with an uneven rate of job openings compared to worker skills, leaving both manufacturing and construction industries with critical labor shortages.”