President Biden said a rosy jobs report Friday proves his recovery plan is working, but a fast-moving strain of the coronavirus poses a threat that must be overcome with broader vaccination.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the U.S. added 943,000 jobs in July, beating forecasts, and the unemployment rate dropped to 5.4% — the lowest since the pandemic began in March 2020.
“While our economy is far from complete, and we doubtless will have ups and downs along the way as we continue to battle the delta surge of COVID, what is indisputable is this: The Biden plan is working,” Mr. Biden said at the White House.
The leisure and hospitality sectors contributed to more than a third of the job gains, as venues bounce back from lockdown measures. Restaurants and bars contributed 253,000 jobs.
Mr. Biden said a bipartisan infrastructure bill working its way through the evenly divided Senate will enhance the recovery. The bill would inject $1.2 trillion into roads, bridges, clean-water systems and broadband access, among other upgrades.
The plan “will soon once again transform America and propel us into the future,” Mr. Biden said.
The big question is whether the delta variant will reverse positive trends.
July’s report did not reflect the extent of the new threat, as reported infections and hospitalizations grew rapidly in the back end of the month. Roughly 52,000 people are hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S., an 82% spike from 14 days ago.
Vaccine mandates and fear of the delta variant are renewing interest in COVID-19 shots, giving officials hope they can outrace the surge.
Mr. Biden said 4 million shots were administered in the last week.
“That’s more than we’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “America can beat the delta variant.”
As it stands, roughly 50% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against the disease.
Mr. Biden said cases will continue to rise as the vaccination campaign ramps up again, but he said the shots will stave off the worst outcomes.
“This new delta variant wave of COVID will be very different than the one that was underway when I took office,” he said.
Still, he added, “We’ve got a lot of hard work left to be done.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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