On December 23, 2025, President Trump made a post to Truth Social boasting about the success of his economic agenda. He pointed to the fact that the U.S. GDP grew at an annual rate of 4.3% in the third quarter of 2025, higher than economists were predicting. He deemed this the “Trump Economic Golden Age.” On January 9, he boasted that 654,000 jobs in the private sector were created in 2025. However, on the ground, most Americans do not feel as though it is a time of economic prosperity and opportunity. It is unfair to expect Americans to rejoice in this era of economic growth, when most of them are not feeling it in their day-to-day lives.
70% of Americans find the cost of living in their area to be unaffordable, with nearly half of Republicans and 75% of independents sharing the sentiment. Americans are struggling to buy everyday essentials like gas and groceries, and housing affordability is in complete crisis. This is likely to negatively impact Republicans going into the 2026 midterm elections.
The average job posting is now receiving 242 applications, which is nearly three times as many as they did in 2017. Fresh graduates and job seekers are struggling to get hired, especially with the rise of AI-assisted applications. The United States entered the new year with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, and December 2025 had the lowest pace of monthly job gains outside of a recession since 2003. People with degrees and previous experience in a high-paying career field are now being waitlisted as DoorDash drivers. Many job listings are “ghost jobs” – job openings that don’t even exist. On top of this, the underemployment rate for recent college graduates has risen to 41.8%, and 34.2% for college graduates in general. It is clear that something has gone wrong in the American job market, with 62% of Americans now saying that college isn’t even worth it.
The United States’s GDP per capita is around $92,880, whereas the GDP per capita in Japan is $36,390. However, whereas 27% of Americans have skipped a medical check up for financial reasons in the past two years, Japan has universal healthcare. Japan has a robust and world-renowned public transit system, whereas public transportation is nonexistent or in poor condition throughout much of America. Japan’s college graduates have nearly 98% placement rates in jobs, much higher than America. It is clear that we must take a more holistic approach than gauging success by GDP.
True economic success cannot be measured by GDP alone. It should focus on how people live day-to-day, and whether opportunities are accessible. Until then, celebrating growth while millions struggle to afford basics and secure meaningful work rings hollow. The path forward lies in redefining what “winning” truly means for everyday Americans. Leaders should focus on making life more affordable for the working class and creating more opportunities that allow for social and economic mobility.
