Trump Demands Labor Official’s Firing Over Job Data

Ex-President Alleges “Rigged” Figures Aimed at Discrediting Him

Former President **Donald Trump** has called for the immediate dismissal of the commissioner of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, citing weaker-than-expected job growth and significant downward revisions to recent employment figures.

Accusations of Data Manipulation

The directive came after the bureau reported that the US economy added only 73,000 jobs in July. Data for May and June were also revised, indicating 258,000 fewer jobs created than initially reported. **Trump** publicly accused the bureau’s commissioner, **Erika McEntarfer**, of “faking” the numbers.

We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2024

**McEntarfer** was appointed in 2023 by President **Joe Biden** and confirmed by the Senate the following year. It remains unclear if she has been terminated.

“We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified,” **Mr. Trump** stated on Truth Social. He further asserted, “In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.”

—Donald Trump, Former President of the United States

Economic Data Quality Concerns

**Trump** claimed **McEntarfer** manipulated employment figures to benefit his Democratic rival, **Kamala Harris**, in last year’s election. He insisted the economy was “BOOMING” during his presidency. Experts, however, attribute the slowdown in job growth to **Trump’s** past trade and immigration policies. There is no evidence supporting **Trump’s** claims of data manipulation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a body long recognized for its reliable economic indicators.

The situation unfolds amid broader concerns about the quality of US economic data. Earlier this year, Commerce Secretary **Howard Lutnick** disbanded expert committees advising on statistical production. **Lutnick** has also suggested excluding government spending from GDP calculations, citing historical government interference.

Reduced Data Collection

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently scaled back its data collection for consumer and producer price reports. In contrast, the US economy added an average of 187,000 jobs per month in the first three months of 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).