Washington — Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), was fired by US President Donald Trump hours after the agency released weaker-than-expected jobs statistics, which heightened fears about his trade policy. Trump claimed in a social media post on Friday that McEntarfer had “RIGGED” the employment statistics “to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.”
Lawmakers, economists, and former government officials swiftly denounced the action, which was unprecedented in contemporary US politics, warning that it may jeopardize public confidence in official economic data. When faced with negative data, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer referred to Trump as “a bad leader” who “shoots the messenger.” According to the BLS data, US companies only added 73,000 jobs in July, far less than the 109,000 that was predicted. Additionally, in light of the uncertainties surrounding Trump’s trade tariffs, the agency revised down employment growth in May and June by a total of 250,000 jobs, confirming indications of a sluggish labor market.
McEntarfer, who was approved by the Senate almost overwhelmingly after being named by former President Joe Biden in 2023, referred to her time there as “the honor of my life” and defended the agency’s mission as “vital and important.” She has almost twenty years of government service.
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