President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted his stewardship of the U.S. economy and job market, but economist and investor Steve Rattner is pushing back against those assertions with straightforward data visualizations shared on social media.

Rattner, an MS NOW economic analyst who previously served as the lead adviser on former President Barack Obama's auto industry task force, has been a persistent critic of Trump's economic record, frequently deploying comparative charts to challenge the administration's claims.

On Monday, Rattner posted a new graph to his official X account illustrating the trajectory of job creation during Trump's second term, which began after what Rattner described as the inheritance of a "strong labor market" from former President Joe Biden.

"President Trump inherited a strong labor market from President Biden," Rattner wrote. "Since his inauguration, average monthly job creation has fallen dramatically: from 122k/month in 2024 to 33k/month in 2025-26." pic.twitter.com/1ptyTDPfJE — Steve Rattner (@SteveRattner), August 10, 2026. Source: X

The chart compared the final year of Biden's presidency with the entirety of Trump's second term to date. The average monthly figures trended steadily downward as Trump's term progressed, with monthly job numbers dipping into negative territory only after he took office.

Rattner had also flagged concerns the previous week following the release of the July jobs report, one of the most closely watched monthly indicators published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and a data point the Federal Reserve monitors as part of its dual mandate for maximum employment and stable prices. "This morning's jobs report was shockingly negative," he wrote. "Not only did the economy lose 23,000 jobs in July — the previous estimates for May and June were revised down by 103,000. These numbers are a major red flag indicating the labor market is weaker than previously thought."

Trump and his allies have offered varying explanations for the less-than-ideal employment figures. Alongside their frequent criticisms of Biden, administration supporters have pointed to layoffs stemming from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives as a contributing factor, while insisting that significant economic growth is imminent. Critics, however, have attributed the downturn to the president's unconventional economic policies, particularly his tariff agenda, which many economists have warned can raise input costs for businesses and disrupt hiring in trade-dependent sectors.

On Friday, Rattner circulated a separate graph highlighting the erosion of wage growth during Trump's second term, effectively reversing gains that workers had achieved before Biden left office. According to the chart, which covers the period from the start of Biden's final year through the present, the launch of the Iran war marked the point at which inflation overtook wage growth for the first time on the timeline.

"Wage growth ticked below inflation again last month," Rattner explained. "That means Americans' average wages shrunk in real terms over the past year. Real wages were growing when Biden left office, but the trend flipped negative after Trump launched the Iran War."

Source: Alternet