U.S. job growth surprised again in June, defying recession fears and casting a long shadow over the political chaos gripping Capitol Hill. The Department of Labor reported 147,000 jobs added, handily beating economists’ expectations of 110,000. The unemployment rate fell to 4.1%, and crucially, April and May’s reports were revised upward by a combined 16,000 jobs—a break from the downward revisions that marked much of the Biden-era reporting cycle.
Wages continued rising, with average hourly earnings up 0.2% for the month and 3.7% year-over-year—outpacing inflation. Meanwhile, wage growth for production and nonsupervisory employees hit 0.3% in June.
But behind the headline numbers, the composition of growth reveals a different story. The public sector added 73,000 jobs, matching the private sector’s 74,000, thanks largely to education, healthcare, and social services—all sectors tightly interwoven with government funding. Healthcare and social assistance alone added nearly 59,000 jobs. Construction gained 15,000, but manufacturing fell by 7,000, continuing a worrying trend for America’s industrial base.
The Big Beautiful Bill gives the president the resources and the power to undo the Biden border invasion. It must pass.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) July 3, 2025
The federal workforce shrank again, losing 7,000 jobs in June and bringing total reductions to 69,000 since January—a trend welcomed by those pushing for leaner government.
Despite the robust job report—which should be a tailwind for President Trump’s economic agenda—House Republicans nearly derailed his signature legislative package Wednesday night. The “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which includes permanent tax cuts, immigration enforcement funding, and Medicaid reform, was stalled by procedural wrangling and internal GOP dissent.
At one point, the rule vote sat at 217-207, with five Republicans voting against it and eight still unaccounted for, threatening the bill’s progress. Those opposing included Reps. Massie (KY), Fitzpatrick (PA), Spartz (IN), Clyde (GA), and Self (TX). Massie had flipped his vote from ‘yes’ to ‘no’ midstream. The holdouts held up what had already become the longest vote in House history, and the rule vote could potentially surpass it.
Backroom negotiations, meetings with Trump, and last-minute lobbying by GOP leadership stretched through the night, as figures like OMB Director Russ Vought and Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair worked to consolidate the fragile coalition behind the bill.
Trump, furious over the delay, took to Truth Social early Thursday, writing:
“MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!”
“FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!”
The stakes are high. Passage of the bill would allow Trump to stage a July 4th signing ceremony, a symbolic victory that aligns tax relief, economic momentum, and national pride. But the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), could still deploy a filibuster-style “magic minute” speech, which has no time limit, to delay final passage. While earlier reports suggested Jeffries planned to speak for only an hour, that calculation may shift if the vote bleeds into Thursday.
Republicans have little margin for error. As the procedural clock ticks, any delay threatens the fragile coalition behind the bill, risks upending the legislative schedule, and provides political ammunition to Trump’s critics.
