US job numbers indicate a rise in native-born employment, but this surge may be an illusion. Aggressive deportation campaigns could lead foreign-born individuals to avoid surveys, inflating native-born figures and distorting the job market's health. The prime-age employment-population ratio for native-born Americans remains strong, near 2007 levels, unaffected by seasonal or aging population factors. Official statistics currently present a potentially misleading picture of the labor market.