Biden highlights May jobs report; more than 500,000 jobs added

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- While the president is excited about the latest jobs report for May, other lawmakers and experts say it's not enough and shows more of a worrying trend.

"We received great news for our economy and our recovery," President Joe Biden said.

Biden says the country is on the move, with the latest jobs report showing more than 500,000 jobs were added to the economy.

"That means we have now created over two million jobs in total since I took office," the president said.

The unemployment rate now rests at 5.8%. The president says it's the lowest it's been since the pandemic began.

"First time in 14 months, we saw the largest decline in the number of long-term unemployed, more than an entire decade," Biden said.

Biden credited his American Rescue Plan for the economic rebound.

"Because of that law, more than 167 million of those rescue payments of up to $1,400 have gone out to individual families," the president said.

However, others don't share Biden's optimism.

"The May jobs report was disappointing," Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.) said.

Joyce says the numbers are not where they need to be as small businesses struggle to find workers.

"And they tell me how disappointed they are that we as a federal government are incentivizing workers to stay at home," Joyce said.

And Joel Griffith with the Heritage Foundation says the 5.8% unemployment rate is not something to boast about.

"That indicates that there are bountiful job positions available, but that people are very reluctant to go back to work because they're earning so much more off the job than on the job," Griffith said.

Biden says the country needs to keep up this trend as his infrastructure proposal will help give the economy another boost.

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