2023 State of the Union address: on Jobs

Joe Biden: 12 million new jobs in 2 years; the most ever

For decades, the middle class was hollowed out. Too many good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Factories at home closed down. Once-thriving cities and towns became shadows of what they used to be.

And along the way, something else was lost. Pride. That sense of self-worth. I ran for President to fundamentally change things, to make sure the economy works for everyone so we can all feel pride in what we do.

To build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down. Because when the middle class does well, the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy still do very well. We all do well.

So, let's look at the results. Unemployment rate at 3.4%, a 50-year low. Near record low unemployment for Black and Hispanic workers. We've already created 800,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs, the fastest growth in 40 years.

Delia Ramirez: $7.25/hour minimum wage is an insult; raise to $15/hour