A claim circulating on social media attributed a quote to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, comparing unemployment rates under former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. The quote, which appeared on platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram, stated: “Under President Trump the U.S. unemployment rate is at a historic low of just 4.3%. It was at a dismal rate of 3.4% under Biden.”
An investigation into archives of Leavitt’s press briefings and media appearances found no evidence that she made this specific statement. While Leavitt has frequently contrasted the Trump and Biden administrations, criticizing the latter and highlighting the former’s economic record, this particular comparison of unemployment figures could not be verified. Searches across platforms like C-SPAN, Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo did not yield any reliable media reports of Leavitt making this exact claim.
The quote appears to have started circulating around June 24, with its precise origin being unclear. It is possible the original creator intended it as satire, as a lower unemployment rate is generally viewed as a positive economic indicator.
However, Leavitt has made other statements drawing parallels between the Trump and Biden administrations, often focusing on economic data. For instance, in February 2026, she spoke about positive signs in the economy under Trump, citing a jobs report that added 172,000 private sector jobs and a rise in labor force participation. In December 2025, she discussed inflation rates, contrasting what she described as a 9% high under Biden with an average of 2.7% under Trump, and noted a decline in real wages under Biden compared to an increase under Trump. In September 2025, she also stated that President Trump inherited a worse economy from the Biden administration than was previously reported.
Regarding actual unemployment figures, The Economist reported the U.S. unemployment rate at 4.3% as of June 26. Data from the Center for American Progress indicates the rate was 4.1% in December 2024, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported it at 3.4% in April 2023.
This claim is rated as an incorrect attribution.
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