Trump fires labor statistics chief over disappointing job numbers
- Erika McEntarfer was fired by Trump after the July job report showed low job growth.
- Experts criticize the decision, stating it risks the reliability of economic data.
- The long-term consequences may include slowed economic growth and higher risks of a financial crisis.
In the United States, on August 3, 2025, President Donald Trump dismissed Erika McEntarfer from her position as the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The firing occurred following the release of a disappointing jobs report which indicated that only 73,000 new jobs were created in July, a decrease from 147,000 in June. Trump accused the agency of manipulating job numbers, claiming they had been 'rigged' to make him look bad. Economists widely condemned Trump's actions, arguing they undermine trust in government data. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and other experts characterized the president's allegations as baseless and raised concerns about the implications for economic policy and the integrity of statistical data in the future. They warned that firing a statistical head for presenting honest data sends a dangerous message and may lead to a lack of reliable economic information, creating challenges for decision-making by businesses and households alike. The Friends of the Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that political pressures could undermine the quality of data produced by the agency over time, which could also increase risks within the American economy, leading potentially to a financial crisis.