U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House State Dining Room on August 31, 2021 to discuss the end of the Afghan War.
Biden, who spent most of his first leg at the White House focusing on the pandemic, stated that "we need more progress in fighting this delta variant."
Biden stated at the White House that "There's no doubt the delta variant is the reason today's job report doesn't strengthen" shortly after the release of the subpar data.
The Labor Department reported that nonfarm payrolls increased by only 235,000 in August, which is far less than the 720,000 expected from economists. This report shows that the number of monthly jobs has fallen to its lowest level since January.
Friday's President Joe Biden blamed the coronavirus pandemic on a weak jobs report. He called out Americans who are still not vaccinated despite the widespread spread of the highly infectious Delta variant.
Despite ongoing government vaccination efforts, millions of eligible Americans have yet to receive even one dose of the Covid shot. Biden stated that this group prolongs the pandemic, and contributes to economic anxieties.
The president stated that there is a "continuing pandemic" of unvaccinated people. "Too many people have not been vaccinated and it's creating a lot unease in our economy as well as around our kitchen tables."
According to data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 64% of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated. That's roughly 175,000,000 people.
Children younger than 12 years old are not eligible for the shots. The two-shot Covid vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, can only be obtained by people aged 16 and older.
Biden acknowledged that the report had weak numbers. "I was hoping to see a higher number," Biden said. He defended the U.S.'s economic progress under his administration.
"We are seeing an economic recovery that is durable and strong. The Biden plan works. We're getting results."
President Obama highlighted the decline in unemployment rates, which fell to 5.2% from 6.3% in January.
He teased that the White House would take new steps next week to fight the delta variant. This suggested that the actions would be focused on protecting families, schools, and the economy.
The delta variant's spread has caused a huge increase in Covid hospitalizations, deaths, and cases across the country. Southern states are particularly hard hit. Florida has the highest Covid hospitalization rate in the U.S. and broke the record for the biggest single-day increase in deaths with 1,338 reports Thursday.
Experts predict another spike in the northeast.
"Now, whether we see an infection wave as dense and severe the South, I don’t think so," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who was FDA chief for two-years under former President Donald Trump, said to CNBC earlier Friday.
He said, "But we will likely see a build up in cases here in Northeast." "I don’t think we’re done with this."
