United States President Donald Trump has removed the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Erika McEntarfer, following a report that showed a significant slowdown in job creation for July, with revisions indicating that May and June figures were also much weaker than previously reported.
In a Friday post on his social media platform, Trump alleged that the jobs numbers were “rigged” for political purposes and demanded that McEntarfer, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, be fired. He did not provide any evidence for his claim. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified.”
Following his post, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced on X that McEntarfer was no longer leading the bureau and that William Wiatrowski, the deputy commissioner, would take over as acting director. Chavez-DeRemer stated, “I support the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS.”
The jobs report on Friday revealed that only 73,000 jobs were added in July, and the number of jobs created in May and June was revised down by 258,000. This report suggests a sharp weakening of the economy during Trump’s presidency, consistent with a broader economic slowdown and increased inflation. In a speech, Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer of New York criticized the move, saying, “What does a bad leader do when they get bad news? Shoot the messenger.”
The monthly employment report is a crucial piece of government economic data that can cause significant shifts in financial markets. While job numbers are often a subject of political debate, economists and Wall Street investors have historically trusted US government economic data to be free from political manipulation. This incident has raised questions about the independence of American economic institutions.
