Democrats on the Congressional Joint Economic Committee released a report on the effects of the Trump administration’s tariffs on the economy and jobs, in particular.
Among the key findings, the analysis found that goods-producing industries saw a total decline of 25,000 jobs in August alone. They cite a weakening trend in the jobs market since the tariffs were announced in April, with “poor jobs numbers” every full month announcement.
Also, the JEC Minority said the number of people filing for continued unemployment relief is reaching levels not seen since the pandemic.
“President Trump’s reckless tariffs have upended the labor market and put the livelihoods of middle-class workers at risk,” U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee, said. “We should be working together to support job growth, lower costs, and create new economic opportunities for families. Instead, the President is injecting chaos into the economy and taking jobs away from middle class families.”
The report states that during the week of April 19, just over two weeks after tariffs were rolled out, the number of people filing continued unemployment first passed 1.9 million. That is the highest level since November 2021, according to the report.
“After slightly dropping at the end of April, the number of people filing for continued unemployment has remained elevated above 1.9 million since mid-May 2025,” the report stated.
Since the tariffs were announced, the Joint Economic Committee – Minority has released a series of reports showing the negative economic impact of tariffs and economic uncertainty.