OPINION:
Why is it that the media world simply accepts the job numbers with no comment (“‘A total scam’: Trump fires labor chief over disappointing jobs report,” Web, Aug. 1)? Take the July numbers.
From 2021 through 2024, the government included virtually any part-time job as a job, even one in which a person worked as few as 10 hours per week. In fact, the vast majority of the jobs reported were part-time. Now, go and really look at the July 2025 report. Almost all
the jobs listed are full-time jobs with benefits. Virtually no part-time jobs were reported.
Historically, June, July and December have huge numbers of part-time jobs, yet the latest report shows virtually none.
If you compare the number of full-time jobs in July 2024 to the number in July 2025, you see that under President Joe Biden there were fewer than 20,000 private-sector jobs created, versus 83,000 under President Trump (minus 10,000 for government jobs). Yet last month had no part-time work?
I’m sorry, but I am calling out the Times and the rest of the media, especially the business news, on this one. The July report was a clear attempt to spin the numbers in a way to hurt Mr. Trump, yet no one in the media is saying so.
Where is the report of W-4 hours? Where is the most accurate hours-worked index? Twenty years ago it was released with the jobs reports. Now you can’t find it. Why? It is journalists’ duty to report the full numbers and ask real questions.
JAMES BARENDS
Wayne, Pennsylvania
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