President Trump, upset at Friday’s job numbers, said he fired the Biden-appointed Labor Department official in charge of compiling employment data. Here’s what you need to know about the labor statistics commissioner firing:
The firing announcement
Trump ousts labor statistics commissioner immediately:
- President fired Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of Labor Statistics, effective immediately
- Trump upset at Friday’s job numbers showing economic slowdown
- Accused McEntarfer of fudging labor reports to damage his administration
- Also accused her of boosting VP Kamala Harris’ chances ahead of last year’s election
The “rigged” accusation
Trump claims job numbers manipulated for political purposes:
- Said jobs numbers reported Friday were “rigged” to make Republicans look bad
- Called employment data “a total scam”
- Vowed to replace McEntarfer with someone “much more competent and qualified”
- Accused Bureau of Labor Statistics of faking numbers before election
The Trump Truth Social statement
President detailed his accusations on social media:
- “This is the same Bureau of Labor Statistics who faked the jobs numbers before the election”
- Accused bureau of overstating job growth in 2024 by approximately 818,000
- Also cited overstating before 2024 election in August and September by 112,000
- “These were records — no one can be that wrong? We need accurate jobs numbers”
The July jobs report
Friday’s employment data showed significant slowdown:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics reported U.S. added 73,000 jobs in July
- Figure represented slowdown from 147,000 jobs added in June
- Fell below analysts’ expectations of 100,000 jobs created
- Report showed notable slowdown in hiring last month
The revision revelations
Previous months’ hiring much weaker than reported:
- Report revealed hiring in May and June much weaker than previously reported
- Revisions showed employers added combined 258,000 fewer jobs in May and June
- Numbers were significantly lower than originally estimated
- Downward revisions compound concerns about economic momentum
The unemployment increase
Jobless rate ticks higher but meets expectations:
- Report showed unemployment increased to 4.2% from 4.1% in June
- Unemployment rate increase in line with analysts’ estimates
- Rate increase comes amid broader hiring slowdown
- Still within range economists consider healthy
Trump’s continued criticism
President emphasized need for accurate, unmanipulated data:
- “Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate”
- “They can’t be manipulated for political purposes”
- Noted McEntarfer reported “only 73,000 jobs added (a shock!)”
- Emphasized “major mistake was made by them, 258,000 jobs downward in the prior two months”
The replacement process
Bureau confirms firing and interim leadership:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics spokesperson confirmed McEntarfer terminated Friday
- Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will serve as acting commissioner
- Trump claims “The economy is booming under Trump”
- President says similar negative revisions happened earlier in year
The Democratic response
Oregon senator leads criticism of firing:
- Sen. Ron Wyden, top Democrat on Finance Committee, said Trump “afraid to own up to reality”
- “Trump wants to cook the books” according to Wyden
- “Trump can’t get through a single day without making some catastrophic decision”
- Democrats incensed over the firing
McEntarfer’s track record
Commissioner’s tenure marked by several data release problems:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics criticized for series of missteps under her leadership
- Agency put under scrutiny for various incidents
- Panel of experts found no dishonest or nefarious motives
- Experts still raised red flags about agency performance
The data release incidents
Multiple problems occurred during McEntarfer’s leadership:
- April 2024 Consumer Price Index data posted 30 minutes early
- Early release raised concerns about moving U.S. Treasury market
- Bureau economist shared undisclosed technical calculations with private-sector economists
- August 2024 nonfarm payroll revisions posted 30 minutes late but appeared on social media first
Read more:
• Trump fires Biden labor official over negative job report
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