The job market has been much weaker than the mainstream media portrayed it to be, which may have been purposeful in painting a particular presidential candidate in a better light. It enabled headlines such as this from Business Insider: “The Blockbuster Jobs Report Just Gave Kamala Harris a Boost Where She Needs it Most” and this from the New York Times, “Jobs Report Adds to Economic Momentum for Harris.” Either way, in reality, job numbers were not only in less than stellar shape but also a reflection of how the economy is causing American families to suffer financially.
The truth is that the numbers around the time of the election showed over seven million individuals were unemployed and seeking out jobs.
Data Reveals 1.6 Million Jobless Workers Couldn’t Secure Work for at Least Six Months
As reported by the Labor Department, 1.6 million of the unemployed were looking for work for up to six months, which is a 50% surge in the number of people searching for that length of time since 2022.
Can the mainstream media be trusted to report on anything? Maybe not because the labor market hasn’t matched up with a “blockbuster” jobs report in a while, but the media reported it as such. Did they justify this reporting by basing their headlines on initial readings, and then failed to report the actual numbers after they were revised, as shown below:
Jobs Report is a disaster and its disingenuous to assume “experts” that contributed to consensus didn’t factor into their estimates hurricanes and strikes.
Moreover, huge negative revisions continue to reveal a much weaker labor market than the media and economists portray. pic.twitter.com/bf8RKJ6gMa
— Charles V Payne (@cvpayne) November 1, 2024
Adding to this, the Labor Department recently released numbers that revealed 1.8 million individuals were continuing to claim unemployment benefits that were granted earlier as of late December, which is approaching a post-pandemic peak.
Mostly White-Collar High-Paying Jobs Have Been Difficult to Secure
As for the extended, six-month-long job search, it mostly pertains to white-collar, high-pay scale employment such as the tech and media industry, as well as law, and others. In contrast, we’re seeing a lot of jobs open in certain sectors, such as manufacturing and transportation, as well as healthcare, which includes physicians, surgeons, and therapy positions.
The lack of available jobs is noted in Indeed’s 2025 US Jobs & Hiring Trends Report, as it states, “Of the 52 total job categories regularly tracked by Indeed, only 7 notched a year-over-year gain in postings as of November 29. Most categories across the labor market are in decline, with Pharmacy, Production & Manufacturing, and Industrial Engineering leading the way, all with annual declines exceeding 20%.”
In the graph below, you’ll see the decline in job openings and postings from January 2020 to November 2024, which is a clear indication of why so many Americans are having issues landing a job, all while the job situation is reported in a positive light.
Workers Forced to Change Careers or Take Lower Paying Jobs Despite Stellar Jobs Report
Faced with no alternatives, many individuals are leaving their job sectors to transition to an industry that offers better hiring prospects. When switching careers like this, you often start back at the bottom and receive a lower salary than you previously made – but when you’ve been out of work for six months, you just do what it takes to get back on your feet again.
This may be a smart move seeing how it was recently reported that companies created a seasonally adjusted 122,000 jobs in December, a decline from the 146,000 positions added in November and falling short of the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 136,000. This marks the smallest monthly job growth since August.
Others Have Decided to Leave the Unreliable Workforce for Good
With how unbelievably unreliable and volatile the job market has been over the past four years, many fed-up unemployed, as well as employed individuals are realizing they can’t trust their financial security to a company, a boss, or the U.S. job market in general. They realize from experience that the rug could be pulled out from under them in the blink of an eye, leaving them financially unstable and unable to provide for their families. It’s obvious that they are not putting any weight into the outcome of the jobs report that the media portrays.
One avenue that’s shown to be resilient during economic upheaval and has stood the test of time is investing in rental real estate. Even during high inflation, when the economy is on a downward spiral, properties skyrocket in value, and rents rise, increasing cash flow and ROI for those who own rental properties.
Related Article: 9-5 Job vs Rental Real Estate: Which Offers More Financial Security?
On top of this, no matter how bad the national debt, the economy, or Wall Street gets, everyone still needs a place to live, and that makes owning a rental property a secure asset that can be relied on.
Finding the Funds to Secure Your Financial Future
If you’re interested in securing a rental property but feel your financial situation will prevent you from doing so, know that there are plenty of options to break down this barrier. Below, you’ll find a few articles that provide multiple options based on various financial situations – one may be right for you:
- Using a VA Loan for Investment Property Purchases
- Exploring a HELOC for Purchasing Investment Properties
- How to Buy a Rental Property With No Money
- Obtain the Money for a Downpayment with Fund & Grow
- Exploring Your Options for Rental Property Loans
- How to Borrow From Your 401(k) to Invest in Real Estate
Those who would like to learn more about investing in rental real estate or discuss creative financing options, feel free to schedule a call with Morris Invest. We offer new construction rental properties in locations with bustling economies and a high demand for rentals. You can also head over to our Program Overview page to see if any of our investing strategies call out to you and your particular situation.
In the meantime, grab a cup of coffee and watch the following video that details the same situation that occurred six months ago – the mainstream media reporting a false narrative when it comes to job numbers:
