White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has drawn criticism for his commentary on the July jobs report, with critics arguing he downplayed negative economic indicators. The report showed a loss of 23,000 jobs in July, and revisions to previous months also indicated a shortfall of approximately 103,000 jobs.
Hassett, appearing on Fox News, suggested that by excluding certain sectors, the jobs report would show a gain of about 100,000 jobs. He pointed to the unemployment rate, which remained low, and highlighted strengths in sectors like construction and manufacturing, stating that "we have to look through the special factors when we're trying to judge this."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported that 264,000 people dropped out of the labor force in July. Economic experts had previously projected nearly 100,000 job additions for the month.
Hassett's remarks have been met with derision on social media, with users mocking his approach to interpreting the economic data. Some commentators have labeled his methods "MAGA math."
This is not the first time Hassett has been criticized for his economic interpretations. In June, he suggested that excluding New York and California from inflation statistics could present a more favorable picture. In December 2025, he attributed high layoff numbers to the way pollsters phrased questions about the economy.