Error in Biden's Job Chart: A Giant Mistake Uncovered; Justified for BLS Chief Dismissal, According to Economist's Statement
In a White House event in August 2025, pro-Trump economist Steve Moore made a bold claim, asserting that the Biden administration overestimated job creation by 1.5 million jobs during its final two years[1][2][3]. To support this figure, Moore presented unpublished Census Bureau data.
Moore's claim was based on a comparison of family income numbers under Biden and during Trump's first term. According to Moore, President Trump's last year saw a $6,400 real after-inflation gain in income for the average family, while Biden saw a $551 gain[1].
However, this assertion has been met with skepticism. William Beach, a former BLS Commissioner appointed by Trump and a friend of Moore, publicly expressed doubts about the claimed overestimation, calling the numbers Moore used "the strangest thing in the world"[3]. Some experts suggest these disputes over accuracy and revisions of official labor statistics are more likely due to routine methodological updates rather than politicized manipulations.
The controversy comes amidst a backdrop of ongoing disputes over the accuracy of labor statistics. The July jobs report, for instance, was weaker than expected[6]. The firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer as Commissioner of Labor Statistics at BLS drew widespread condemnation, with President Donald Trump accusing her of inflating job numbers to an "all-time high" before the 2024 election and later revising them downward after he won the election[4][5]. Trump also claimed the "miscalculations" were some of the most significant in more than 50 years[4].
Fox News Digital reached out to BLS but did not receive an immediate reply. Steve Moore, a senior visiting fellow for economics at the Heritage Foundation, maintains his stance, arguing that even taking COVID-19 into account, President Trump's policies led to a ten-times greater income gain for the average family compared to Joe Biden's[2].
In summary, Steve Moore’s claim of a 1.5 million job overestimation is a politically charged assertion supported by unpublished data he presented but is disputed by other experts, including a former BLS chief appointed by Trump himself[1][3][4]. There is no independent confirmation that the official job creation numbers were deliberately inflated.
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/15/politics/steve-moore-jobs-biden-trump/index.html [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/08/16/steve-moore-biden-jobs-trump/ [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/17/us/politics/steve-moore-jobs-biden-trump.html [4] https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-fires-bls-chief-over-inflated-jobs-numbers [5] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/18/trump-fired-bls-chief-amid-jobs-report-scandal/ [6] https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_08062025.htm
- The unfolding debate over the accuracy of labor statistics, particularly in regard to job creation, has become intertwined with political discourse, as illustrated by the ongoing dispute between economist Steve Moore and former BLS Commissioner William Beach.
- Amidst the controversy surrounding the accuracy of official job creation numbers, various experts have expressed skepticism about suggestions of politicized manipulations, favoring explanations tied to routine methodological updates instead.
- Given the polarized climate of contemporary politics, Steve Moore's claim of a 1.5 million job overestimation on the part of the Biden administration has drawn attention and remains a hot topic in the general news, crime and justice, policy-and-legislation, and economic asset discussions.
