Trump dismissed the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, appointed by Biden, following an unfavorable employment report, asserting, "The data was MANIPULATED"
In a controversial move, President Trump announced the dismissal of Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), last Friday. The firing was publicly justified by Trump as a response to his belief that the July jobs report, released under McEntarfer's leadership, contained "rigged" data meant to make Republicans and himself look bad.
Trump accused McEntarfer of a lack of integrity and alleged data manipulation in the employment reports. However, these allegations have been widely challenged and described as baseless by economists, federal employees, and statistical experts.
McEntarfer, a former appointee of President Joe Biden, served as a senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisors before leading the BLS. She was confirmed by the Senate in January 2024.
The firing was seen by many in the federal statistical community as an unprecedented politicization of an agency that traditionally provides neutral, nonpartisan economic data essential for policymaking and public trust. The BLS follows a rigorous, decentralized, and transparent process for collecting and reporting employment statistics, safeguarding against political interference.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) praised Trump for removing McEntarfer from the top BLS post, stating her numbers have misled the American people for too long. However, Marshall has been raising concerns about inaccurate job numbers from McEntarfer for the past year.
Trump has stated that he will put someone in as the new commissioner of BLS who can be honest. William Wiatrowski will act as the new deputy commissioner of BLS in the interim. Trump has about three people in mind to replace McEntarfer, but the specific names have not been disclosed.
The largest downward revision to US payroll figures since 2009 occurred last August, and similar mistakes happened in the first part of the year, always to the negative, according to Trump. However, these revisions are part of the BLS's regular process for updating and refining employment data.
Congressional Democrats, federal unions, and advocacy groups have called for investigations into the firing and expressed concerns about the future neutrality and credibility of the BLS data. The dismissal of McEntarfer has sparked a debate about the politicization of government agencies and the importance of maintaining the independence and objectivity of statistical agencies.
References:
- EPI PolicyWatch: Firing BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer
- Government Executive: Neutrality of agency has been eliminated, stats-based feds decry BLS chief's firing
- Friends of BLS: Statement on Commissioner McEntarfer’s Removal
- Fortune: Trump fires BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer, citing 'rigged' jobs numbers
The controversy surrounding President Trump's dismissal of Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), has been met with concern in the realm of media, politics, and general news, as many view this move as an unprecedented politicization of the agency. The firing has also sparked debates about the importance of maintaining the independence and objectivity of statistical agencies in war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and other areas. Media outlets, federal unions, and advocacy groups have called for investigations, expressing concerns about the future neutrality and credibility of BLS data.
