Friday's May jobs report landed like a gut punch to every Democrat who thought he could run on the economy this midterm cycle. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 172,000 jobs added in May 2026, more than double the 85,000 economists had forecast. To say that the report significantly beat forecasts is an understatement.
OUTSTANDING JOBS NUMBERS! 📈🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/8g0MspCKtZ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 5, 2026
Of those 172,000 jobs, the private sector is responsible for 120,000. And if the headline number wasn't impressive enough on its own, April's figures got revised upward by more than 60,000 jobs, jumping from 115,000 to 179,000. That's three straight months of robust job growth, with each revision reinforcing a trend that's getting harder for the left to explain away.
The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%.
🚨 PRESIDENT TRUMP JUST NOW: "With a great Jobs Report, like just announced, stocks should go up, not down. That’s the way it was for 200 years. Growth does not mean inflation! How else can a Country attain GREATNESS???" 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jy57FfJ1mO
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 5, 2026
"Thanks to President Trump and Republicans, the number of new jobs in May more than DOUBLED expectations," RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. "Jobs are up, small businesses are growing again, and wages and paychecks are rising. Democrats sabotaged our economy for four years, but President Trump is fixing it."
“Senate Republicans and President Trump’s pro-growth policies continue delivering more jobs, lower taxes, and higher wages. Jon Ossoff voted in lockstep with the Biden-Harris administration’s reckless tax and spending agenda that left Georgians with less money in their pockets,” said NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia.
Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, went deep on what's driving the numbers. "You know, I think that basically what we're seeing is an enormous amount of positive momentum in hiring," Hassett said. He pointed to the back-to-back strength: "Obviously, you're right that a couple of hundred and seventies in a row, that's a great couple of months."
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He added, "But then having upper divisions of around 100,000 means that this is a job market that's hitting on all cylinders. And it's our belief that this is happening because of all of the supply-side policies that the president has put in place," Hassett said. “We've got the Big, Beautiful Bill with the, you know, expensing for new factories. We've got, you know, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. So people are out there working harder. We've got quit rates down to about as low as we've ever seen. We've got layoffs about as low as we've ever seen. This is about the strongest market of my lifetime and of your lifetime."
🚨 The U.S. labor market just added 172,000 jobs, smashing expectations of 85,000.
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) June 5, 2026
"This is about the strongest market of my lifetime!" — KEVIN HASSETT.
"So people are out there working harder. We’ve got quit rates down to about as low as we’ve ever seen. We’ve got layoffs… pic.twitter.com/oQEWaRTrIq
The state-level picture is worth sitting with. Sixteen of the top 21 states with the lowest unemployment rates have Republican governors. Nine of the 10 states with the highest unemployment rates have Democrat governors. The left's economic model produces the same result wherever its governors apply it.
Heading into the 2026 midterms, Democrats need an economic message that resonates. Right now, all they have is a streak of solid job numbers that belong to President Donald Trump and the GOP.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and bold policies, America’s economy is back on track.
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