US economy ‘envy of the world’: Biden faces voters’ doubts on the economy
Al Jazeera
Biden is struggling to convince voters of his economic credentials despite strong growth and low unemployment.
United States President Joe Biden has hailed the US economy as the “envy of the world” as he seeks to assuage voters’ doubts about his economic stewardship in an election year.
In a fiery State of the Union address on Thursday, Biden pointed to a series of economic data points, including record job creation and rock-bottom unemployment, to make the case that the economy has gone from strength to strength on his watch.
“I inherited an economy that was on the brink. Now our economy is the envy of the world!” Biden told the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“Fifteen million new jobs in just three years – that’s a record! Unemployment at 50-year lows. A record 16 million Americans are starting small businesses and each one is an act of hope.”
While there is room to quibble with some of Biden’s figures – the record creation data is skewed by the fact that there were so many job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic – the president’s overall argument is on solid ground.
