Biden calls 2023 a ‘great year for American workers’ amid economic polling slump

President Joe Biden has called 2023 a great year for American workers, even as polls continue to show voters unenthused about his handling of the economy.

Reacting to the December jobs report that showed the economy adding 216,000 jobs last month, the president was quick to say his administration should get credit.

EMPLOYMENT GROWTH TICKED UP IN DECEMBER WITH 216,000 JOBS

“This morning’s report confirms that 2023 was a great year for American workers,” Biden said in a prepared statement. “The economy created 2.7 million new jobs in 2023 — a year when the unemployment rate was consistently below 4 percent — more jobs than during any year of the prior administration.”

The unemployment rate in December stayed the same at 3.7%, a historically low figure. The numbers should be a boost to Biden, who has spent the last six months working to convince the electorate that “Bidenomics” has been good for the country.

“The strong job creation continued even as inflation fell to the pre-pandemic level of 2 percent over the last six months, and key prices have fallen over the last year,” Biden said. “American workers’ wages and wealth are higher now than before the pandemic began, adjusting for inflation.”

It remains to be seen if these figures boost Biden’s economic approval rating, which is also stuck near a historic low at just 37%, per the RealClearPolitics polling average, compared to 60% who disapprove.

The Republican National Committee released its own statement pointing to decreased labor force participation.

“The latest jobs report shows Americans are still struggling in the Biden economy,” RNC spokesman Jake Schneider said. “Overall labor force participation decreased, suggesting a weakening in a labor market that remains well below pre-pandemic levels. Unemployment rates shot up for women, Hispanic Americans, people with disabilities, and high school graduates who didn’t attend college.”

“In fact, the number of full-time workers plunged by 1.5 million — the lowest since February — while the number of part-time workers soared by 762,000 to the highest on record,” Schneider continued. “That’s the story of the Biden economy.”

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Biden ended his own statement by vowing to continue to fight for workers going forward and acknowledging that inflation remains a problem.

“I know that some prices are still too high for too many Americans, and I am doing everything in my power to lower everyday costs for hard-working Americans,” he said. “And I will continue opposing efforts by Congressional Republicans to shower massive giveaways on the wealthy and big corporations.”