President Donald Trump said in a Tuesday speech that while the economy is thriving overall in the U.S., it is thriving for one demographic in particular: young Americans.
“It’s the best time in the history of our country for young people, like yourself, to join the workforce because America is thriving, America is booming,” Trump told the crowd attending Turning Point USA’s Teen Student Action Summit. “Our economic revival is incredible.”
According to Trump, wages have risen for two demographic groups in particular: young Americans and blue-collar workers. Trump added that for young Americans, wages have risen by “more than ten percent.”
Overall, the country’s unemployment rate is hovering around 3.7 percent, the lowest it has been in nearly 50 years, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Trump also told the crowd that his adviser and daughter, Ivanka Trump, has been working with companies like Walmart, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin to create apprenticeship programs.
“They can train much better than the government,” the president added.
The Trump administration has made an effort to promote apprenticeships and training programs as alternatives to a four-year college degree as higher education costs keep rising along with massive amounts of student loan debt.
Even though the thriving economy brings the prospect of more jobs, many young Americans are still opting to go to college. The Wall Street Journal reported that 69 percent of high school graduates in 2018 enrolled in higher education this October — a two percent increase from the prior year.
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