The US labor market is finally tilting in Americans’ favor.
When President Donald Trump first ascended to the highest office in the land, the forgotten men and women were promised they would finally be remembered. While the numbers could be disputed from his first term, the latest data indicate that Americans are faring better in the early days of his second term. One area where they are doing well is on the jobs front.
Wanted: Americans for Jobs
In the first nine months of 2025, Americans have accounted for all of the economy’s employment gains. Since January, the number of employed native-born workers has soared by 2.577 million. Conversely, the number of foreign-born workers has declined by 1.03 million over the same period.
This has been an astounding turnaround for the American worker. As Liberty Nation News has reported in recent years, the divergence between US and non-US employment levels has widened since October 2019. However, the gap has been gradually narrowing, likely fueled by a broad array of immigration policies, including deportations of illegal immigrants and fewer border crossings.
But that is not all. The labor force participation rate increased to 62.4% at the end of the third quarter. Blue-collar workers are clocking in more hours, too, ticking up by 0.1 hour to 33.7 hours. Americans’ nominal wage growth is up 3.8% year-over-year. Additionally, real (inflation-adjusted) wages are poised for a $1,000 increase at the end of Trump 2.0’s first year (remember, the upward trajectory in new jobs for US households comes as real blue-collar wage growth is the strongest it has been since former President Richard Nixon almost 60 years ago).
Economists can debate the benefits or drawbacks of this trend, but the current administration is following through on its promise to make America First.
Caution or Boom Ahead?
The US labor market is firmly entrenched in an oft-described low-fire, low-hire environment. Be it concerns over economic uncertainty or the Federal Reserve’s tighter-for-longer monetary policy crusade, businesses are apprehensive about expanding staff and trimming the fat.
Specific indicators suggest employment conditions may be bouncing back, with a larger-than-expected 119,000 new jobs. Of course, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ track record points to sizable downward revisions in next month’s nonfarm payrolls report. And, because of the shutdown, market watchers will be flying blind on other numbers.
In addition to jobs data, the broader economy is on track for gangbuster growth. The Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow Model, a running estimate of economic activity, forecasts the world’s largest economy will register a third-quarter growth rate of more than 4%. The fourth quarter, likely hit by the record-breaking government shutdown, is expected to post 2% growth, according to the New York Fed Staff Nowcast report.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is optimistic that the United States will have an impressive 2026, insisting that the country will record substantial non-inflationary growth. “I think 2026 is going to be a blockbuster year,” he recently told Fox News. Echoing his colleague’s sentiment, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett believes 2026 will be “an absolute blockbuster year.”
But the American people will believe it when they see it. The University of Michigan’s November Consumer Sentiment Index is at its lowest level since June 2022, as more are worried about the current situation, from inflation to jobs.
Rejoice
For now, we can enjoy a sigh of relief and dip our old-fashioned doughnuts in coffee, knowing that the unemployment rate remains near historical lows and the economy is not bleeding jobs. Economic observers have offered various assessments of the labor market, including further normalization or rebalancing. But one thing is clear: The American people are gaining all the jobs.
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