Congress Reacts to the Last Jobs Report Before the Midterms

Friday, October 2, 2026

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The Issue

Hiring nearly stalled in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday morning. Employers added just 29,000 jobs, the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, and the agency cut 60,000 jobs from its July and August counts, turning July into a month of losses. Democrats answered within hours. Republicans did not address the report at all. The release also showed average hourly earnings up 3.0 percent over the year and the unemployment rate for Black workers up to 7.0 percent, against a consensus forecast of about 84,000 new jobs (Yahoo Finance). Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) called it the last official jobs report before the election, and the party's leadership treated it that way. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) all posted within hours of the release, followed by dozens of rank-and-file members.

Their argument had three parts. The report, they said, is the verdict on the "Golden Age" the President promised, a theme Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) each used. Wages are losing to inflation, a point Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) made with the 3 percent earnings figure. And the causes are policy choices: Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) named the Iran war and tariffs, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) blamed the Trump administration's cuts of more than 300,000 federal jobs, and Pelosi, Clark and Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) faulted House Republicans for cancelling votes and leaving town. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) focused on Black unemployment, with Pressley demanding that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent release a report on it. No Republican addressed the September figures. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) instead marked National Manufacturing Day with posts on nine straight months of factory growth, Ohio job announcements and private investment since the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Verifiable Claims:

The economy added 29,000 jobs in September, July and August were revised down by a combined 60,000, and unemployment rose to 4.2 percent - stated by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA)
Wages grew 3 percent over the past year, below inflation - stated by Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL)
The unemployment rate for Black workers rose to 7 percent - stated by Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH)
Two days before the report, President Trump called this "the greatest economy in the history of our country by far" - stated by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
House Republicans cancelled votes and went home instead of acting on costs - stated by Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA)
Factory activity grew for the ninth consecutive month in September, led by technology, pharmaceutical, automobile and electronics manufacturing - stated by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY)

Opinions & Characterizations:

"Today's dismal jobs report once again shows that Trump's economy is better at producing problems than paychecks." - Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
"Inflation is up, job creation is down and the reckless war of choice in Iran has been a disaster. Republicans have crashed the economy." - Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
"Higher interest rates, rising costs, and no jobs. American families are being squeezed on all sides by Trump's disastrous economy." - Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
"Almost no job growth and higher unemployment this month. Are those Trump tax cuts trickling down yet?" - Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
"We were promised a golden age. Here is what we are getting: Slow job growth, lagging wage growth, and higher costs." - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
"President Trump promised a Golden Age — yet opportunities are dwindling, prices are rising and folks can't keep up." - Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN)
"The so-called "Golden Age" of America: unemployment is up and hiring has plummeted." - Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA)
"Trump promised more jobs and lower costs. He delivered neither." - Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
"Yikes – we just got a dismal jobs report from Trump's sagging economy. Let's end this war and get job-protecting AI legislation in place." - Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)
"Anemic job numbers validate the anxiety many Americans are feeling about high costs. We should end the war in Iran now, reverse Trump's disastrous tariffs" - Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
"DOGE didn't cut waste, it cut people." - Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA)
"The state of our economy is failing Black workers, families, & futures—and this is a damning reminder of that." - Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
"Regular Americans are working hard and getting less, as inflation eats away at their earnings. This is a flashing red light for the health of our economy." - Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA)
"Ask yourself, are you better off now than you were two years ago?" - Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
"Pres Trump's tariffs, Iran War and corruption are to blame. Meanwhile the GOP Congress sent us home and did nothing to help." - Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL)
"Ohio has the most jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in history." - Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH)
"Our country is the best place in the world to build... because of President Trump, manufacturing is BACK." - Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI)

TL;DR - The Partisan Split:

Democrats defined the report in unison as the "Golden Age" that never arrived: 29,000 jobs, 4.2 percent unemployment and paychecks losing to inflation. They blamed tariffs, the Iran war, federal job cuts and a Republican House that left town. No Republican engaged the September numbers. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) answered with factory growth and state job announcements instead.