Overview

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a preliminary benchmark revision for March 2024–March 2025 and the latest report showed just 22,000 jobs added in August with unemployment rising to about 4.3%.
• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the economy that President Trump “owns” starts at the end of this year, shifting responsibility later than earlier statements.
• Lutnick forecast more than $10 trillion in factory construction and GDP growth above 4% next year, and he predicted record construction employment in the first quarter.
• Axios’ Mike Allen challenged Lutnick’s framing during an interview as social media critics pounced, and recent data pointed to hotter inflation and multi‑year highs in initial jobless claims.
• Democrats highlighted what they say are nearly 900,000 job cuts so far in 2025 and pointed to polling — including a CBS News finding that 36% call the economy good — as signs voters remain unconvinced.