Fact Check: Is Trump's SOTU address claim more Americans are working now than ever before true?
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech on Tuesday, February 24, was the first official SOTU of his second term. The POTUS addressed a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol, a speech that was the longest annual address to Congress in US history.
During his speech, the POTUS made several claims, and one such claim was that more Americans are working now than ever before. But is there any truth to this statement by Trump? Let us find out below.
Claim: More Americans are working now than ever before
During his SOTU speech on Tuesday, Donald Trump said, "More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country. Think about that — at any time in the history of our country, more are working today — and 100 percent of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector."
Moreover, the POTUS touted economic gains, claiming inflation was 'plummeting', incomes were rising, and the economy was 'roaring like never before' during his speech.
.@POTUS: "More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country. Think about that — at any time in the history of our country, more are working today — and 100% of all jobs created under my administration have been in the private sector." #SOTU pic.twitter.com/GIeWcV08hn
— U.S. Commerce Dept. (@CommerceGov) February 25, 2026
Furthermore, he also defended his tariff policies despite the Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down much of his IEEPA-based authority, calling the decision 'totally wrong'.
Trump also reiterated his belief that tariffs could eventually 'substantially replace' income taxes to ease burdens on Americans. It is a claim that is widely believed to be unrealistic by economists due to revenue shortfalls and consumer cost pass-throughs.
Fact Check: Partly true, context is missing
The claim made by Donald Trump that "More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country" is partly true.
Job growth slowed sharply in 2025. US employers added just 181,000 jobs in all of 2025, as compared to more than 1.4 million in 2024.
Moreover, hiring picked up in January 2026, but the job gains last month were concentrated in health care, an industry that is typically insulated from the ups and downs of the broader economy.
Meanwhile, unemployment has remained low at 4.3 percent in January 2026, but that's up from 4 percent a year ago when Donald Trump returned to the White House.
