U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said Friday on Newsmax that President Donald Trump's economic policies are fueling what she called a "blue-collar boom," with rising wages, steady unemployment, and renewed optimism among American workers.
"Consumer confidence is up, unemployment [is] holding steady, and we've added half a million new jobs across this country," Chavez-DeRemer told "Wake Up America." "There's a lot of focus on upskilling and reskilling our workforce [through] the earn-while-you-learn programs. The blue-collar boom is here. We're going to rebuild America."
She said her nationwide tour of 50 states has revealed broad excitement about the economic rebound.
"People want to get back to work," Chavez-DeRemer said. "We see businesses reinvesting, we see prices down. We see gas prices down, really, for the first time on Labor Day since the president took office. So, you know, again, consumer confidence, real wages, 1.4% in wage growth. … it's been an exciting time."
The secretary credited much of the growth to Trump's signature tax and jobs package, thanking Congress for passing "one of the most significant pieces of legislation that probably they'll ever vote on, that really boosted the economy and the American worker."
She pointed to key provisions, including no tax on tips, overtime, or Social Security, along with expanded Pell Grants and child tax credits.
"This is going to be great for saving thousands of jobs. It is the biggest tax reduction that Americans will see," said Chavez-DeRemer.
She also highlighted worker training and apprenticeship programs as critical to meeting market demand.
"At the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, over 55,000 trainees will go through there every single year," Chavez-DeRemer said. "When you're talking about welders, when you're talking about electricians, there are so many young men and women whose lives this has changed."
She added that one of Trump's executive orders was to have 1 million active apprentices in the United States, "and now we're on the road to see that. Over 185,000 we've signed up just in the last few months. They need that workforce. It's answering the call of market demands."
Chavez-DeRemer said she will complete her tour by reporting back to Trump with updates on how Americans are responding to the economic shift.
"It's been exciting because people are excited about the growing economy," she said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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