Both foreign born population and foreign born employment ticked up again in March 2026

 

Employment with government at all levels remains very high in March 2026 at 23.3 million

 

Federal employment in March 2026 is at levels last seen in 1966

 

38.11% eating but not working in March 2026

 

48.66% worked full time in March 2026

 When does the Golden Age start?

 

 

So Lori Chavez-Deremer at the Department of Labor had a good long lie-in past NOON today and didn't get the initial claims numbers to FRED until 4:16PM EDT

 These numbers are routinely updated not long after the 8:30am press release in previous administrations.

 

 

Some Golden Age: The 10-year trend for percent change for ADP private payrolls is down

 

Initial Claims updated one eternity later

The Trump administration thinks so little of its one truly bright spot that it makes us wait to enjoy it.

Raw claims average below 195k in March to date, only the third month averaging below 200k in his second term to date.

You'd think that they'd be out there trumpeting these continued historically low numbers, but it is evident that they don't really care.

It's political malpractice. 

 

Trump's dysfunctional government can't even get the weekly Initial Claims for Unemployment chart at FRED updated on time

 This happens repeatedly under Trump and his loser appointees.

We're still waiting for today's update even though the news release came out as usual at 0830 hours. 

 

 

I keep hearing how we don't need manufacturing jobs because robots and automation are going to save us

 

Full time in Feb 2026 is so 2009

 

Trump makes America 1969 again

February 2026 might as well be July 1969, when the percentage of Americans working hit 59% for the first time.

America does not even come close to working up to its potential. 

(geek note: population estimates get updated at the beginning of each year, which means current percentage calculations and comparisons such as this one will not exactly match previous ones posted here in 2025, 2024, 2023, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera) 

 

Trump has cut federal employment down nearly to May 1966 levels

 

Manufacturing employment falls again in Feb 2026, back to Mar 2018 levels

 

As a share of the native born employment level, the foreign born employment level is much higher in Feb 2026 under Trump II than in Feb 2019 under Trump I lol

 

The unemployment level in Feb 2026 has risen very close to the Jan 2017 level when Trump took over for the first time: 8.05 million vs. 8.14 million

 

38.05% were eating but not working in the United States of Dumbasses Donald Trump and Rush Limbaugh in Feb 2026

 

48.4% had a full time job in Feb 2026, similar to Jan 2009 when everything was so wonderful and getting wonderfuller

 

Total nonfarm payrolls "unexpectedly fell" by 92k in Feb 2026, unemployment rate ticks up to 4.4%

 U.S. payrolls unexpectedly fell by 92,000 in February; unemployment rate rises to 4.4%

 

Jobless claims continue at the four year lows in 2026, at 216k on average in February

 Claims have averaged between 216k and 224k on an annual basis starting in 2022. 

We haven't had a monthly average number at or above 300k since Jan 2022.