Joe Gaslights on Jobs

Just three days after declaring his disastrous Afghan operation that abandoned Americans and allies an “extraordinary success,” President Biden tried more gaslighting, insisting that the grim news that the nation added a half-million fewer jobs than expected last month was “more evidence of the progress of our economy” under his leadership.

And, just as in Afghanistan, he’s sticking to his course, though Bidenomics clearly seriously threatens the already-fragile recovery.

America gained just 235,000 jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, way off economists’ projections of 720,000 and a huge dive from July’s 1.05 million.

The prez painted it as good news. “The Biden plan is working . . . . I’ve added more jobs than any first-year president.” That’s no big score when a once-in-a-century pandemic slammed economies worldwide and the last guy’s program brought vaccines to market in record time just before you took office.

Biden did admit “some wanted to see a larger number today, and so did I,” but, as with everything else, he took no responsibility for the consequences of his policies.

“There’s no question the Delta variant is why today’s jobs report isn’t stronger,” he deflected. But Delta hasn’t brought last year’s mass lockdowns and layoffs; job openings remain at record levels.

Employers squarely put the blame on Biden’s business-busting bills. His COVID “relief” package, passed in March with no GOP votes, extended the $300 weekly federal unemployment bonus to September and threw another $1.9 trillion into an economy that had gained trillions the year before.

The result? Soaring inflation — consumer prices up 5.4 percent year over year, the largest jump since August 2008 — that’s accelerating as employers can’t fill 10 million job openings despite 8 million unemployed.

Biden crowed Friday, “Wages are up, especially for working-class Americans.” But inflation more than consumes those gains: Average hourly earnings are up 4.3 percent over a year ago (when the pandemic was still in full swing), but prices are up 5.4 percent.

August’s 5.2 percent jobless rate is nowhere near the 3.5 percent of pre-COVID February 2020. And Biden seems determined to keep it high: Friday, he encouraged states to use unspent federal funds to extend the expiring jobless benefits. And he pushed his $4.7 trillion spending plans, to be paid for in part with job-killing tax hikes, in part with further-inflationary new debt.

No one can stop Biden from denying reality, but Congress must stop his agenda before he pushes America back into recession.