Trump moves to dismiss the individual responsible for employment data oversight following a disappointing job market update
In a surprising turn of events, President Donald Trump has called for the firing of Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accusing her of manipulating employment data for political reasons.
Trump, who made the call on his social media platform, Truth Social, alleged that the jobs numbers were rigged to make him look bad. He claimed that McEntarfer, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, should be fired immediately[1][2].
The controversy stems from the revised jobs reports for May and June, which indicate a more negative employment trend than initially reported. The combined job creation for these two months has been revised downward, with 258,000 fewer jobs created than initially estimated[1][2]. The jobs report for July also shows a significant decrease in job creation, with only 73,000 jobs added last month, the lowest since February 2021.
The revised jobs report for May and June reveals a significant deviation from the initially reported figures. Hiring was weaker than previously reported, with the total number of jobs created during these two months now lower than initially reported[1][2].
Trump directed his team to fire McEntarfer immediately, stating that the BLS's job growth numbers were the biggest miscalculations in over 50 years[1][2]. He removed her from her position after the BLS reported these weaker-than-expected job growth figures.
The call for McEntarfer's firing came after a report showed hiring slowed in July. Trump stated that McEntarfer was a Biden political appointee[1][2].
This is not the first time Trump has accused the BLS of manipulating data. During his presidency, he often criticised the agency for reporting job growth that was lower than he expected.
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/05/politics/trump-calls-for-firing-bls-director/index.html [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/05/us/politics/trump-calls-for-firing-bls-director.html
- The shifting jobs numbers and low job creation figures in recent months have sparked concerns about the accuracy of policy-and-legislation related employment data, leading to a political outcry and calls for the resignation of Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, who has been accused of manipulating data for political reasons by President Donald Trump.
- The ongoing controversy surrounding the revised jobs reports and the political distress they've caused in general-news has led to heightened scrutiny of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with President Trump accusing the agency of manipulating data and calling for the firing of its director, Erika McEntarfer.
