CNN Analyst: Trump Job Market Sentiment Has Flipped 'in the Wrong Direction'
Key Takeaways
- •Enten reported that 72 percent of fully employed voters said the second quarter of 2026 was not a good time to find a good quality job, up from 53 percent in 2024.
- •Trump's net approval rating among full-time workers is 41 points underwater, after being trusted 20 points more than Kamala Harris on the economy in 2024.
- •The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August.
- •Enten said voter sentiment, rather than objective economic data, will drive outcomes in the election two months away.
President Donald Trump received unwelcome news on Labor Day about the effect that a strong jobs report has had on his approval numbers.
According to CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, the answer was: none at all.
"These numbers have just become considerably worse under Trump," Enten said Monday. "That bad number has gone way up."
Enten said Trump's approval ratings on American optimism about the prospect of finding work have undergone what he called a total "switcheroo in the wrong direction."
According to Enten, 72 percent of fully employed voters said the second quarter of 2026 was not a good time to find a good quality job. In 2024, he noted, that figure was 53 percent.
"This was a major strength for him back in 2024 when it came to the economy," Enten said. "He was trusted more than [former Vice President Kamala] Harris by 20 points on the economy. But look at his net approval rating. Now amongst those who are employed full time, it is 41 points underwater."
The finding illustrates a recurring gap in political polling between objective economic indicators and how voters subjectively feel about the economy, a dynamic that has historically shaped electoral outcomes even when headline data are positive.
Host John Berman expressed surprise at the finding, noting that last week's job report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the U.S. economy gained 162,000 jobs in August. The monthly employment situation report is one of the most closely watched indicators of labor market health, and Labor Day, observed on the first Monday of September, traditionally marks the unofficial start of the fall campaign season in U.S. politics.
"This is about the sentiment," Berman said, "and that's not good."
"And the sentiment is what drives things into the election two months from now," Enten replied. "It is not a happy Labor Day indeed for President Trump."
