White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday that the unexpected loss of about 33,000 American jobs in September is attributable to recent hurricanes.
The loss was the first monthly employment drop reported in seven years by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Today’s report shows certainly the devastating impact of the hurricane season,” Sanders said, referring to recent storms hitting the Houston area and South Florida.
Employment figures from Puerto Rico, which remains largely without electricity after being hit by Hurricane Maria in September, are not included in the BLS report.
The spokeswoman redirected focus to the unemployment rate, which dropped from 4.4 percent in August to 4.2 percent in September, according to the new figures.
“One of the big identifiers we should look at is the drop in the unemployment rate, including new lows for African Americans, teens and women,” Sanders said.
“While many displaced [by hurricanes] weren’t able to work, the economy still remains extremely strong,” she said. “Those people continue to have jobs, which is why the unemployment rate actually fell.”
