White House press secretary Jen Psaki was peppered with questions about inflation, labor shortages, and other economic problems in her first briefing since testing positive for the coronavirus on Halloween.
The Friday briefing came on the same day as a Department of Labor report revealing that a record 4.4 million workers quit their jobs in September, up from a previous record of 4.3 million in August.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE QUITTING JOBS HITS RECORD HIGH
Psaki was grilled on the numbers and what they mean for the health of the wider economy. In response, she posited that quitting a job can be a good thing for many workers.
“In some industries [workers quit] because they need to offer a more competitive package,” she said. “It’s a workers’ market right now. We know that.”
Workers often quit because they’re looking for more dependable benefits or higher wages, Psaki argued, saying it’s now up to the industries that hire workers to “meet the moment.” With inflation rising to 6.2% in October, any employees who don’t get a raise are, in effect, seeing their wages go down. Psaki also said that concerns over COVID-19 may keep some workers out of short-term or seasonal work.
The quantity of people quitting over the last few months is the highest since the United States began keeping records of the statistic about two decades ago. The new data highlight the fears that businesses across the country have had about acquiring and holding on to labor.
Data also point to plenty of available gigs for those seeking work, whether switching employers or reentering the workforce. The number of job openings was essentially steady from August to September, at about 10.4 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.
“Many people across the country feel this is a good time to change jobs,” said Psaki. “What I’m saying is, ultimately that’s a good thing.”
Another reporter questioned the press secretary on gas prices, which remain high even as the Biden administration considers shutting down pipelines. Republicans have argued that Biden’s policies are contributing to high prices at the pump.
“Our view is that the rise in as prices over the long term makes an even stronger case for doubling down our investment and our focus on clean energy options so that we are not relying on the fluctuations in OPEC and their willingness to put out more supply to meet the demand in the market,” Psaki responded.
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While the economy added 531,000 new jobs in October, more than expected, the U.S. remains millions of jobs short of where it was prior to the start of the pandemic.
