Washington, D.C. For the annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade, President Joe Biden, who frequently claims to be the most pro-union president in history, will go to Philadelphia on Monday.
The Democratic president is anticipated to address the nation’s unions and the economy’s recovery from the devastating coronavirus crisis.
Labor Day, a festival honoring workers, falls during a period of increased job creation and increased unemployment, the highest levels since January. Biden is keen to emphasize these developments as he runs for reelection in 2024.
“As we head into Labor Day, we ought to take a step back and take note of the fact that America is now in one of the strongest job-creating periods in our history,” Joe Biden said on Friday in the Rose Garden.
He made the statement following the announcement that American employers added 187,000 jobs in August, showing that the labor market is slowing but still strong despite the high interest rates the Federal Reserve has imposed.
According to the Labor Department’s report released on Friday, the jobless rate increased from 3.5% to 3.8%, which is still low by historical standards but the highest level since February 2022. However, the rate increased for a positive reason: 736,000 people started looking for employment last month, the highest number since January, and not all of them were immediately hired.
Only those who are seeking work regularly are counted as jobless. People are returning to their jobs and leaving the sidelines, according to Biden.
In addition to personally supporting unionization attempts at major corporations like Amazon, Biden has utilized executive measures to encourage worker organizing. He has also approved government financing to support the pensions of union members. The Biden administration has proposed a new regulation that would expand overtime pay eligibility to 3.6 million more U.S. workers, the largest such increase in decades.
Additionally, as part of the bicameral $1.1 trillion public works plan agreed upon by Congress in 2021, Joe Biden has toured the nation praising union labor for their efforts in constructing bridges and enhancing railway tunnels.
“Unions raise standards across the workforce and industries, pushing up wages and strengthening benefits for everyone,” Biden said on Friday. “Wall Street didn’t create America, as you’ve heard me say a lot. Unions helped the middle class grow, and the middle class helped build America. The Philadelphia AFL-CIO, which, according to its website, is made up of more than 100 local labor unions representing more than 150,000 employees, is the organizer of the 36th annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade and Family Celebration.
