Trump fires head of statistics bureau after poor jobs report
On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July, far less than expected, and revised down the May and June figures, by a combined 258,000 jobs.
A furious Donald Trump took to Truth Social, his own social media platform, to blast the bureau chief, and fire her, claiming she was 'faking' the stistics, and noting she was appointed by long time rival, former President Joe Biden.
She was nominated by Biden on July 12, 2023, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 11, 2024.
"I was just informed that our Country's "Jobs Numbers" are being produced by a Biden Appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, who faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala's chances of Victory," President Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday.
Trump alleged that the BLS, under McEntarfer's leadership, had significantly overstated job growth figures in March 2024 by approximately 818,000 jobs, followed by additional overstatements of 112,000 jobs in August and September—just before the election. He called the discrepancies "records" and questioned their validity, stating,"No one can be that wrong?"
"We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY," Trump said. "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."
"McEntarfer said there were only 73,000 Jobs added (a shock!) but, more importantly, that a major mistake was made by them, 258,000 Jobs downward, in the prior two months. Similar things happened in the first part of the year, always to the negative."
"The Economy is BOOMING under "TRUMP" despite a Fed that also plays games, this time with Interest Rates, where they lowered them twice, and substantially, just before the Presidential Election, I assume in the hopes of getting "Kamala" elected – How did that work out? Jerome "Too Late" Powell should also be put "out to pasture." Thank you for your attention to this matter!" the president posted.
Background on Dr. Erika McEntarfer
Dr. McEntarfer, a labor economist with over two decades of federal government experience, was nominated by President Joe Biden on July 12, 2023, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 11, 2024.
Her career includes key roles at the U.S. Census Bureau, where she led research for the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics program, and at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, where she advised on labor market recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her research, published in leading economic journals, has focused on job loss impacts, wage rigidity, and labor market dynamics. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from Virginia Tech and a bachelor's degree from Bard College.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not yet publicly responded to Trump's allegations.
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