Economy
Nonfarm payroll jobs by president
Total jobs on US nonfarm payrolls (Current Employment Statistics survey, seasonally adjusted). The change over a term is the number of jobs added or lost.
159.0 million jobs latest, Sep 2026
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED PAYEMS. Monthly data, fetched Oct 19, 2026.
Since 1980, the number of payroll jobs ranged from 88.8 million jobs in Dec 1982 under Ronald Reagan to 159.0 million jobs in Sep 2026 under Donald Trump (2nd term). Of the 8 completed terms with data, the number of payroll jobs rose fastest under Joe Biden, at +3.94 million jobs/yr against −0.71 million jobs/yr in the four years before, and fell fastest under Donald Trump (1st term), at −0.71 million jobs/yr against +2.58 million jobs/yr in the four years before. So far under Donald Trump (2nd term), it has gone from 158.3 million jobs in Dec 2024 to 159.0 million jobs in Sep 2026.
By presidential term
Nonfarm payroll jobs, term by term: every term lined up from inauguration on one chart.
Value at the last full period before inauguration and at the end of the term, with the yearly rate of change. The second column is the rate of change over the four years before the term: the trend they inherited. Remember the lag: a term's first year mostly reflects the previous one's policies.
| President | During term | 4 years before |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump (2nd term) 2025–now | 158.3 million jobs → 159.0 million jobs +0.42 million jobs/yr · through Sep 2026 | +3.94 million jobs/yr |
| Joe Biden 2021–2025 | 142.5 million jobs → 158.3 million jobs +3.94 million jobs/yr | −0.71 million jobs/yr |
| Donald Trump (1st term) 2017–2021 | 145.4 million jobs → 142.5 million jobs −0.71 million jobs/yr | +2.58 million jobs/yr |
| Barack Obama 2009–2017 | 134.8 million jobs → 145.4 million jobs +1.32 million jobs/yr | +0.55 million jobs/yr |
| George W. Bush 2001–2009 | 132.7 million jobs → 134.8 million jobs +0.27 million jobs/yr | +2.89 million jobs/yr |
| Bill Clinton 1993–2001 | 109.5 million jobs → 132.7 million jobs +2.90 million jobs/yr | +0.65 million jobs/yr |
| George H. W. Bush 1989–1993 | 106.9 million jobs → 109.5 million jobs +0.65 million jobs/yr | +2.70 million jobs/yr |
| Ronald Reagan 1981–1989 | 90.9 million jobs → 106.9 million jobs +1.99 million jobs/yr | +2.62 million jobs/yr |
| Jimmy Carter 1977–1981 | 80.4 million jobs → 90.9 million jobs +2.62 million jobs/yr | +1.29 million jobs/yr |