Trump Removes Bureau of Labor Statistics Chief Following Disappointing Jobs Report

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Former President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate dismissal of Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the release of a disappointing July jobs report. The report showed slower-than-expected job growth and significant downward revisions to previous months’ figures, prompting Trump to question the accuracy and reliability of the nation’s employment data.

In a statement posted on social media, Trump wrote, “No one can be that wrong? We need accurate job numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY.” He continued, “She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate; they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.”

The July report, which revealed that only 73,000 jobs were added during the month, fell well short of expectations. Additionally, earlier figures for May and June were revised down by a combined 258,000 jobs. Trump described the report as “a shock” and referred to the revision as a “major mistake.”

McEntarfer, who was appointed as the 16th BLS Commissioner by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in early 2024, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A seasoned labor economist, she had served in various roles within the federal government for over two decades, including at the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of the Treasury.

The BLS routinely updates job figures as new data becomes available, a long-standing statistical practice. However, Trump’s decision to remove McEntarfer drew mixed reactions. Supporters of the move, including Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, pointed to recent “major revisions” as cause for concern. In a social media post, she confirmed that Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski would serve as Acting Commissioner, writing: “A recent string of major revisions have come to light and raised concerns about decisions being made by the Biden-appointed Labor Commissioner.”

Meanwhile, critics argued that Trump’s actions could undermine public trust in federal economic data. Lily Roberts, Managing Director for Inclusive Growth at the Center for American Progress, said, “Mr. Trump is firing the messenger because he doesn’t seem to like jobs numbers that reflect how badly he’s damaged the economy.” She added, “Politicizing our country’s collection of data could shake markets that rely on unbiased information.”

Heather Long, Chief Economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, also voiced concern, calling the firing “basically unprecedented” and warning it could raise questions about the credibility of U.S. economic indicators, including inflation, wages, and productivity statistics.

Some Republican lawmakers expressed unease as well. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) told CBS News, “The statistics are what they are. It’s not the statistician’s fault if the numbers are accurate and that they’re not what the president had hoped for.”

The report’s bleak outlook aligns with recent findings in the Federal Reserve’s “Beige Book,” a summary of economic activity collected from businesses across the country. It indicated that many employers are holding back on hiring due to lingering uncertainty, particularly surrounding U.S. trade policy.

“Based on what I was hearing from a lot of employers, I kept expecting to see a stagnant job report at some point—that’s what we got today,” said Laura Ullrich, Director of Economic Research for North America at Indeed and a former official at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch.

As markets absorb the implications of both the job numbers and Trump’s swift personnel move, debate continues over whether the dismissal signals greater accountability or a worrying precedent for federal data independence.