Hassett on Oil Price Pressure, US Jobs Report

• Hassett attributes the negative February jobs report to temporary factors like weather and West Coast strikes, calling it an 'outlier' and expecting better numbers next month.
• He foresees a 'much more stable Venezuela' and 'much more stable Iran' leading to higher, stable energy output, which will be 'very good' for energy markets.
• The White House has no current plans to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, despite having 400 million barrels available if needed.
• Hassett is closely tracking private credit markets and believes they are 'very well-functioning' with 'nothing like' the stress seen in the 2008 financial crisis.

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett downplays the negative February jobs report, citing one-off factors and a new BLS model, while expressing optimism for future job growth. He anticipates increased stability in global energy markets from Venezuela and Iran, expecting current disruptions to be resolved soon. Hassett also states there are no current plans to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and sees no systemic risk in private credit markets.