Early job numbers ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Friday jobs report are painting a grim picture of the American economy, one that some are labeling as an indicator that a “Trumpcession” is well underway.
Fox Business’ Lauren Simonetti obtained the early job numbers Friday morning, which showed the United States added only 22,000 jobs in August – “much less,” she noted, than the expected 75,000.
“Unemployment rate coming in as expected, 4.3%, so that would be higher than July's 4.2%, [and] again, 22,000 jobs added in August,” Simonetti said. “Let me get you the revisions because this is what everybody is focused on: for June and July together, combined, 21,000 jobs lower than previously reported.”
News of the lower-than-expected job numbers spread quickly, with X user “David Pepper,” author of the book “Saving Democracy” who’s amassed well over 100,000 followers, marking the news as a sign of things to come.
“Trumpcession is clearly on its way,” they wrote on X. “Inflation too. Disaster.”
Another X user, “Dad in Georgia,” a self-described “left-leaning centrist” said that the numbers commemorated the ushering in of President Donald Trump’s so-called “Golden Age.”
“This is Trump’s ‘Golden Age,’ where MAGA mindlessly voted against their own economic self-interests,” they wrote on X. “Not surprising, as they fell for a convicted felon and con-man. Rough waters ahead, people!"
According to the jobs data, the latest jobs report also carried with it significant revisions to June and July. In June, job creation was revised down by 27,000, resulting in a net-negative job growth of 13,000 jobs, and in June, numbers were revised up by 6,000, resulting in a net job growth of 79,000.
Friday’s job report is the first since Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, following another abysmal jobs report. Trump called the findings of the report “rigged” as a ploy to “make Republican success look less stellar.”
Trump went on to nominate E.J. Antoni of the Heritage Foundation as the new BLS commissioner, though his confirmation remains in question as conservative economists have turned on Antoni for being “utterly unqualified.”
“It's so bad that even Fox News can no longer deny the Trump stagflation and recession that he and his tariffs are causing,” wrote X user “Frozon Capital,” who describes themself as a “40-year veteran Republican turned Democrat.” “But Trump doesn't care because he is too busy getting fat off of his daily McDonald's and ice cream.”22,000 jobs.
Trumpcession is clearly on its way. Inflation too.
Disaster. https://t.co/fOF2NFzekk
— David Pepper (@DavidPepper) September 5, 2025