Doocy Takes Down Psaki Over Extra Unemployment Keeping People Home

Psaki told Doocy that the administration doesn’t “see much evidence that the extra unemployment insurance is a major driver in people not rejoining the workforce,” and added that “the data and our analysis shows that lack of vaccination, the lower rate — which is why I referred to the data in the week that it was taken — it has an impact. Childcare has an impact. Schools reopening has an impact.”

“But there is also the need to pay a livable working wage, and that’s one of the reasons the President will talk about that this afternoon,” Psaki said.

Citing an analysis that shows “anybody making less than $32,000 a year is better off financially just taking the unemployment benefits,” Doocy asked “Is the White House creating an incentive just to stay home?”

Psaki replied that the “majority of economists, internally and externally of the White House” don’t think the extra UI is “a major driver in our unemployment data; that there are other factors — bigger factors — that were contributing — have been contributing to the numbers we saw on Friday.”

Doocy also asked about comments that Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo made over the weekend, asking “The Commerce Secretary says the main reason that people are staying home is fear. How does the White House know that people are scared? What is that based on?”

Psaki replied that Raimondo was referring to the “much lower vaccination rate just a month ago.”