New data from the U.S. Labor Department reveals that native-born Americans have secured 100 percent of job gains since President Donald Trump returned to office in January. The figures show a sharp reversal from the Biden era, when foreign-born workers accounted for nearly half of new employment.
The Labor Department confirmed the trend in a post on X, stating, “Under [President Trump], native-born workers have accounted for ALL job gains since January. American Workers First!” This marks a significant shift in the job market dynamics and reflects the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on immigration enforcement and labor market reform.
According to the department’s data, native-born employment has surged by more than two million jobs in 2024, while employment among foreign-born workers has dropped by over 500,000. The figures contrast sharply with those under President Joe Biden, whose policies saw only 52 percent of job growth going to native-born Americans in the same timeframe last year.
Despite these gains, economic pressures remain. Over 7 million Americans are still unemployed, 1.6 million are long-term unemployed, 4.5 million are underemployed in part-time positions, and 6 million more are out of the labor force but still want a job.
While President Trump focuses on reshaping the labor market for American workers, industry groups are lobbying for more foreign labor. From agriculture to hospitality, these sectors are pressuring the administration to expand foreign visa programs to fill open positions.
In response, the Department of Labor this week announced a new office dedicated to streamlining the process for importing foreign workers. A senior administration official told Axios that the move “is not amnesty” or “amnesty lite,” attempting to assure the Trump base amid growing concerns about amnesty proposals for illegal laborers in certain industries.
The administration’s approach seeks to balance political commitments to American workers with economic demands from powerful industry interests—all while resisting a return to Biden-era labor trends that favored foreign labor expansion.
