Who is Erika McEntarfer, labor statistics chief sacked by Trump
Trump blamed McEntarfer for the bad Friday jobs report, showing that the country added 258,000 fewer jobs in May and June than previously reported.
The U.S. added just 19,000 jobs in May, significantly lower than the 144,000 reported previously and saw an increase of 14,000 jobs in June, over 90 percent lower than the 147,000 initially shared. The country gained 73,000 jobs in July. In the last three months, the U.S. added 106,000 in total.
An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to The Hill that McEntarfer was terminated from her post. A BLS official told The Hill that McEntarfer was sacked and that deputy commissioner William Wiatrowski will serve as acting head until the administration finds a replacement.
Trump argued that McEntarfer, who was nominated by Biden in 2023 and confirmed to the post the following year, 'faked' the jobs numbers before the 2024 presidential election to 'boost' former Vice President Harris' chance of winning in November.
'This is the same Bureau of Labor Statistics that overstated the Jobs Growth in March 2024 by approximately 818,000 and, then again, right before the 2024 Presidential Election, in August and September, by 112,000,' Trump wrote in a lengthy Friday Truth Social post.
'These were Records — No one can be that wrong? We need accurate Jobs Numbers,' the president said, vowing that McEntarfer will be replaced by someone 'much more competent and qualified.'
'Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can't be manipulated for political purposes,' he said.
McEntarfer, a labor economist who has worked in the federal government for over two decades, was confirmed by the Senate in early 2024 in a bipartisan 86-8 vote. Her nomination was supported at the time by now Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the two former senators representing Ohio and Florida, respectively.
Prior to working as the commissioner of BLS, which is part of the Department of Labor, McEntarfer held positions within the Treasury Department, the Executive Office of the President and the U.S. Census Bureau, according to her biography posted on BLS's website.
She was the head of research for the Longitudinal Employer–Household Dynamics program at the Census Bureau. The labor economist, who earned a bachelor's degree in social science from Bard College and an economics Ph.D. from Virginia Tech, was a senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisors prior to joining BLS.
In another post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Friday's jobs report figures were 'RIGGED' in order to make the president and Republican lawmakers 'look bad.'
'Just like when they had three great days around the 2024 Presidential Election, and then, those numbers were 'taken away' on November 15, 2024, right after the Election, when the Jobs Numbers were massively revised DOWNWARD, making a correction of over 818,000 Jobs — A TOTAL SCAM,' Trump wrote.
BLS often revises job number tallies, but the scale of the change on Friday surprised investors and experts after a solid week of economic data.
'Persistent policy uncertainty, tariffs, and diminished immigration flows paralyzing employers, the US economy is now flirting with job losses, revealing a labor market that is much weaker than most Fed policymakers had believed,' EY-Parthenon top economist Gregory Daco wrote.
The collection of economic data can take time due to the slow response rates of those surveyed and the size of the economy. The delay does not necessarily mean the data is being manipulated.
BLS said in August last year that the U.S. added 818,000 fewer jobs over a one-year period than what was previously reported.
DOL Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said on Friday that she agrees with Trump's decision to fire McEntarfer and confirmed that Wiatrowski will work as the acting commissioner.
'A recent string of major revisions have come to light and raised concerns about decisions being made by the Biden-appointed Labor Commissioner,' Chavez-DeRemer said in a Friday post on social media platform X. '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.'
William W. Beach, who served as the BLS head during Trump's first term, disagreed with the president's decision to terminate McEntarfer, warning it would set a 'dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Asian shares track Wall Street lower, dollar rangebound
By Stella Qiu SYDNEY (Reuters) -Asian shares slipped along with Wall Street on Wednesday, after weak U.S. data highlighted the damage tariffs were having on economic activity and earnings, while the dollar struggled with the drag from lower bond yields. U.S. services sector activity unexpectedly flatlined in July, data showed on Tuesday. Employment further weakened and input costs climbed by the most in nearly three years, underscoring the impact from President Donald Trump's tariff policy. Second-quarter earnings results also revealed pressure from Trump's tariff wars. Taco Bell parent Yum Brands missed expectations as steep trade duties dent consumer spending, while Caterpillar warned that U.S. tariffs would cost it up to $1.5 billion this year. "It paints a picture of a stagflationary dynamic, which although still far from truly coming to fruition, raises the risk of a toxic mix of rising joblessness and prices as tariffs filter through the U.S. economy," said Kyle Rodda, senior analyst at MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.2%, while Japan's Nikkei eked out a small 0.2% gain. Both Chinese blue chips and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were flat. Nasdaq futures fell 0.3% and S&P 500 futures eased 0.1%. Trump on Tuesday said it would announce tariffs on semiconductors and chips in the next week or so, while the U.S. would initially impose a "small tariff" on pharmaceutical imports before increasing it substantially in a year or two. He also said the U.S. was close to a trade deal with China and that he would meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping before the end of the year if an agreement was struck. However, he threatened to further raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases. In currency markets, the dollar consolidated after sliding from two-month highs last Friday on a weak jobs report that had markets price in a near-certain chance of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September. The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six counterparts, was flat at 98.821 and was up 0.1% this week after Friday's 1.4% fall. Fed funds futures imply a 94% chance of a rate cut next month, with at least two cuts priced in for this year, according to the CME's FedWatch. Investors are waiting for Trump's pick to fill a coming vacancy on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. Trump said the decision will be made soon, while ruling out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as a contender to replace current chief Jerome Powell, whose term ends in May 2026. Treasury yields edged up overnight after a $58 billion auction of three-year notes went poorly, but still hovered near multi-month lows. More supply will hit the market this week with $42 billion in 10-year notes on Wednesday and $25 billion in 30-year bonds on Thursday. Two-year Treasury yields rose 1 basis point to 3.7284%, having risen 3.5 bps overnight, while benchmark 10-year yields ticked up 2 bps to 4.2198%, after holding steady overnight. In commodity markets, oil prices edged up after four straight sessions of declines. U.S. crude rose 0.2% to $65.3 per barrel, while Brent was at a one-month low of $67.78 per barrel, up 0.1%. Trump said on Tuesday he will decide on whether to sanction countries who purchase Russian oil after a meeting with Russian officials scheduled for Wednesday. Spot gold prices were flat at $3,381 an ounce. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Asian shares track Wall Street lower, dollar rangebound
By Stella Qiu SYDNEY (Reuters) -Asian shares slipped along with Wall Street on Wednesday, after weak U.S. data highlighted the damage tariffs were having on economic activity and earnings, while the dollar struggled with the drag from lower bond yields. U.S. services sector activity unexpectedly flatlined in July, data showed on Tuesday. Employment further weakened and input costs climbed by the most in nearly three years, underscoring the impact from President Donald Trump's tariff policy. Second-quarter earnings results also revealed pressure from Trump's tariff wars. Taco Bell parent Yum Brands missed expectations as steep trade duties dent consumer spending, while Caterpillar warned that U.S. tariffs would cost it up to $1.5 billion this year. "It paints a picture of a stagflationary dynamic, which although still far from truly coming to fruition, raises the risk of a toxic mix of rising joblessness and prices as tariffs filter through the U.S. economy," said Kyle Rodda, senior analyst at MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.2%, while Japan's Nikkei eked out a small 0.2% gain. Both Chinese blue chips and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were flat. Nasdaq futures fell 0.3% and S&P 500 futures eased 0.1%. Trump on Tuesday said it would announce tariffs on semiconductors and chips in the next week or so, while the U.S. would initially impose a "small tariff" on pharmaceutical imports before increasing it substantially in a year or two. He also said the U.S. was close to a trade deal with China and that he would meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping before the end of the year if an agreement was struck. However, he threatened to further raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases. In currency markets, the dollar consolidated after sliding from two-month highs last Friday on a weak jobs report that had markets price in a near-certain chance of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September. The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against six counterparts, was flat at 98.821 and was up 0.1% this week after Friday's 1.4% fall. Fed funds futures imply a 94% chance of a rate cut next month, with at least two cuts priced in for this year, according to the CME's FedWatch. Investors are waiting for Trump's pick to fill a coming vacancy on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. Trump said the decision will be made soon, while ruling out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as a contender to replace current chief Jerome Powell, whose term ends in May 2026. Treasury yields edged up overnight after a $58 billion auction of three-year notes went poorly, but still hovered near multi-month lows. More supply will hit the market this week with $42 billion in 10-year notes on Wednesday and $25 billion in 30-year bonds on Thursday. Two-year Treasury yields rose 1 basis point to 3.7284%, having risen 3.5 bps overnight, while benchmark 10-year yields ticked up 2 bps to 4.2198%, after holding steady overnight. In commodity markets, oil prices edged up after four straight sessions of declines. U.S. crude rose 0.2% to $65.3 per barrel, while Brent was at a one-month low of $67.78 per barrel, up 0.1%. Trump said on Tuesday he will decide on whether to sanction countries who purchase Russian oil after a meeting with Russian officials scheduled for Wednesday. Spot gold prices were flat at $3,381 an ounce. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NBC News
36 minutes ago
- NBC News
NATO to coordinate regular and large-scale arms deliveries to Ukraine. Most will be bought in the U.S.
BRUSSELS — NATO has started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine after the Netherlands said it would provide air defense equipment, ammunition and other military aid worth 500 million euros ($578 million). Sweden also announced Tuesday it would contribute $275 million to a joint effort along with its Nordic neighbors Denmark and Norway to provide $500 million worth of air defenses, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and spare parts. Two deliveries of equipment, most of it bought in the United States, are expected this month, although the Nordic package is expected to arrive in September. The equipment is supplied based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. NATO allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on. 'Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis,' NATO said Monday. Air defense systems are in greatest need. The United Nations has said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 620-mile front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of ready military materiel, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine. The new deliveries will come on top of other pledges of military equipment. The Kiel Institute, which tracks support to Ukraine, estimates that as of June, European countries had provided 72 billion euros ($83 billion) worth of military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, compared to $65 billion in U.S. aid. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that 'American air defense systems and munitions, in particular, are crucial for Ukraine to defend itself.' Announcing the deliveries Monday, he said Russia's attacks are 'pure terror, intended to break Ukraine.' President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the Netherlands, posting on social media that 'Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, will be better protected from Russian terror.' He said the deliveries are coming 'at a time when Russia is trying to scale up its strikes. This will definitely help protect the lives of our people!' Germany said Friday it will deliver two more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the U.S. will prioritize the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. These weapon systems are only made in the U.S. As an organization, NATO provides only non-lethal assistance to Ukraine like uniforms, tents, medical supplies and logistics support. The 32-nation military alliance has mostly sought to protect NATO territory from possible Russian attack and avoid being dragged into a war against a nuclear power. But its support role has expanded since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, even as his administration insists European allies must now take care of their own security and that of their war-ravaged neighbor. Trump has made no public promise of weapons or economic support for Ukraine. Trump said on July 28 that the U.S. is 'going to be sending now military equipment and other equipment to NATO, and they'll be doing what they want, but I guess it's for the most part working with Ukraine.'
