President Biden will deliver remarks on the April unemployment numbers unveiled on Friday morning, taking the opportunity to discuss his administration’s efforts on the country’s economic recovery and promote his ambitious multi-trillion dollar infrastructure and health care agenda.
The U.S. gained 266,000 new jobs in April, falling far short of the 1 million economists expected. The unemployment rate rose slightly from 6% to 6.1%. Gains in the leisure and hospitality services were offset by declines in temporary help services and in couriers and messengers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How to watch President Biden’s remarks today
- What: President Biden delivers remarks on the April unemployment numbers
- Date: Friday, May 7, 2021
- Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: East Room, The White House, Washington, D.C.
- Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
A White House official told CBS News that the administration views this as an opportunity to promote Mr. Biden’s sweeping $2.3 trillion proposal, the American Jobs Plan, arguing that the labor market needs a boost now more than ever. The official downplayed the discrepancy between the projection and the actual number, saying that 266,000 jobs added would have been a solid month were there not such high expectations.
Mr. Biden’s remarks on Friday come after he visited Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Thursday as part of his nationwide tour to promote the American Jobs Plan. Mr. Biden also spent time pitching the benefits of his American Families Plan, a $1.8 trillion proposal that would entail free preschool for all 3-and-4-year-olds, and two years of free community college, among other things.
The president plans to pay for his infrastructure plan in part by raising the corporate tax rate to 28% and increasing the global minimum tax on U.S. multinational corporations. But Republicans have balked at the cost of Mr. Biden’s plan and his proposed method of paying for it, as well as some components that GOP lawmakers say stretches the definition of “infrastructure.”
