Trump Fires Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner After Weak Jobs Report

Trump Fires Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner After Weak Jobs Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has fired Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the release of a disappointing July jobs report that showed the U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs, down significantly from 147,000 in June.

Trump, who has a history of questioning the validity of job statistics when politically inconvenient, cited “phony numbers” and alleged manipulation—without presenting any evidence—as the reason for McEntarfer’s dismissal on Friday.

“So you know what I did? I fired her. And you know what? I did the right thing,” Trump said, addressing reporters as he departed the White House.

Background of Conflict with BLS

Trump’s mistrust of official job numbers dates back to his 2016 campaign, where he infamously told supporters, “Don’t believe those phony numbers.” More recently, in 2024, Trump accused the Biden administration—again without proof—of manipulating employment data to mislead the public ahead of the election.

In August 2024, Trump claimed that a significant downward revision of 818,000 jobs from earlier estimates was leaked strategically. However, the BLS had publicly announced the revision and updated the figures in February 2025. Similar downward revisions occurred during Trump’s own presidency in 2019, when the agency determined that 518,000 fewer jobs were created than initially reported.

Current Labor Market Conditions

Despite the firing, the July 2025 jobs report showed that the U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.2%, a figure still considered near historic lows. The report also included downward revisions for May and June, adding to concerns over a slowdown potentially linked to Trump’s tariffs and ongoing global uncertainties.

Labor Secretary Julie Su previously defended the agency’s data, attributing fluctuations to external shocks such as Hurricane Helene and widespread labor strikes.

Response from Experts and Former Officials

The move to dismiss McEntarfer has sparked backlash. The Friends of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, chaired by former BLS commissioners William Beach and Erica Groshen, released a statement accusing Trump of attacking the agency’s independence.

“The President seeks to blame someone for unwelcome economic news. The Commissioner does not determine what the numbers are but simply reports what the data show,” the organization stated.

The group urged Congress to investigate the firing and preserve the nonpartisan integrity of federal statistical agencies.

Political Implications

While Trump previously embraced positive job reports during his presidency—declaring in March 2017 that the same numbers he once called “phony” were now “very real”—he has since returned to undermining the credibility of the data when unfavorable.

In the lead-up to the 2024 election, Trump criticized the October jobs report showing a modest gain of 12,000 jobs. “It’s hundreds of thousands less than it should be,” he said at a Milwaukee rally.

Conclusion

President Trump’s firing of Erika McEntarfer adds a new chapter to his long-standing skepticism of government-reported economic data. As the economy shows signs of slowing, the move raises serious concerns about political interference in traditionally independent institutions like the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

ABC News has reached out to Erika McEntarfer for comment. No response was received at the time of publication.