FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, August 7, 2020

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New Economic Numbers Show Trump Has Failed Iowans with His Severe Mishandling of COVID-19

Trump’s recession was entirely preventable, but new unemployment numbers demonstrate just how much he has let down voters

DES MOINES — This morning’s new unemployment numbers make it clearer than ever: Trump has failed the American people with his disastrous mishandling of the coronavirus crisis. Today, more than 30 million Americans are receiving some form of unemployment relief and over 16 million are out-of-work. As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Iowa and across the country, hiring and job creation slowed in June, signifying the potentially long-lasting and devastating impact of Trump’s recession on Iowa workers. 

While our economy continues to struggle and the middle-class and working people suffer, Trump and GOP leaders have resorted to desperate, baseless attacks on everything from health care to vote-by-mail efforts in an attempt to distract from their economic floundering.   

A look at Trump’s recession, by the numbers:

  • 16.3 million Americans are out-of-work and over 100,000 Iowans are still receiving unemployment benefits. 
  • The GDP fell at a completely unprecedented annualized rate of 32.9% last quarter — a rate three times higher than the previous largest drop on record.
  • Over 38,000 Iowans have lost their health insurance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • 3 million fewer jobs were created in July than in June as many states were forced to partially shut down again as COVID-19 cases spiked. 
  • Over 900 Iowans have died of coronavirus complications.