BLS Commissioner Fired Amid Job Growth Dispute: Trump's Unprecedented Move Sparks Concerns About Data Reliability

Donald Trump fired the BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, in response to a report showing slower job growth. This was unprecedented and has raised concerns about the reliability of BLS data, which is used by businesses, economists, and policy planners. Former BLS commissioner Erica Groshen explained that revisions to job growth rates are common due to delayed responses from surveyed businesses.

Donald Trump has ordered the firing of Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following a disappointing July jobs report. The decision, which has raised concerns about the reliability of BLS data, comes amidst a history of political interference with economic statistics [1].

The July jobs report showed the U.S. economy added only 73,000 jobs, falling well short of economists' expectations. Additionally, significant downward revisions were made to May and June's job counts, reducing employment levels by a combined 258,000 jobs [2]. Trump accused McEntarfer, a Biden appointee, of manipulating the data for political purposes and called for her immediate dismissal [3].

McEntarfer was nominated by former President Joe Biden in July 2023 and confirmed by the Senate with bipartisan support in January 2024. She has held various roles within the federal government, including at the Census Bureau and the Treasury Department, before taking the helm at BLS [2].

The BLS is a nonpartisan agency responsible for compiling closely watched employment reports, as well as consumer and producer price data. While it is common for the agency to revise economic data due to the scale and complexity of its survey-based reporting, the sudden firing of its commissioner has raised questions about the integrity of its data [1].

Former BLS commissioner Erica Groshen explained that revisions to job growth rates are common due to delayed responses from surveyed businesses. However, the magnitude of the recent revisions has led to concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the data [1].

The firing of McEntarfer comes at a time when the Trump administration has raised concerns about the quality of U.S. economic data. Earlier this year, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick disbanded two expert committees that worked with the government to produce economic statistics [1].

Economists have attributed the sharply slower job growth to Trump's trade and immigration policies. The economy created only 73,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 percent [2].

The BLS deputy director, Bill Wiatrowski, was appointed during the Obama administration, and the official overseeing employment report production joined during Trump’s first term. It remains unclear who will lead the agency moving forward [2].

The BLS has already reduced data collection for the consumer price data as well as the producer price report. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan has suggested that there may be better ways to track employment data and has called for improvements in the agency's data collection processes [3].

References:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-orders-firing-bls-commissioner-after-dismal-employment-report-2025-08-01/
[2] https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/who-is-erika-mcentarfer-trump-fires-bureau-of-labor-statistics-commissioner-over-jobs-report-dispute-article-152392715
[3] https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/bank-americas-ceo-responds-weak-jobs-report-spurred-trump-firing-bls-chief