Trump Fires BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer Following Disappointing Jobs Report
President Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after a jobs report showed sluggish hiring. This action sparked bipartisan criticism and raised concerns about the administration's data integrity.
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Overview
- President Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, raising concerns about his administration's approach to official economic data and its independence.
- The firing occurred shortly after the BLS released a jobs report indicating sluggish hiring, which contradicted the administration's positive economic narrative and drew immediate criticism.
- The July jobs report specifically showed a significant decrease in new jobs added, with figures of 33,000 and 73,000, falling well below initial expectations and fueling the controversy.
- President Trump publicly claimed that the BLS reports were being manipulated for political purposes, further escalating the dispute over the accuracy and integrity of government statistics.
- McEntarfer's firing, despite her Senate confirmation, drew bipartisan criticism and mockery, underscoring widespread concerns about political interference in federal data agencies.
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FAQ
Erika McEntarfer is an American labor economist who served as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from January 2024 until August 2025. She holds a bachelor's degree in Social Science from Bard College and a PhD in economics from Virginia Tech. Before becoming BLS Commissioner, she worked as an economist at the Census Bureau's Center for Economic Studies, headed research at the Census Bureau's Longitudinal Employer–Household Dynamics Program, worked at the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Policy, and served as a senior economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Erika McEntarfer was fired by President Trump on August 1, 2025, shortly after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a jobs report that showed sluggish hiring and fell significantly below expectations. President Trump claimed the report's numbers were rigged to make Republicans, including himself, look bad. Her firing raised concerns about political interference in the independence and integrity of federal economic data agencies.
McEntarfer's firing drew bipartisan criticism and mockery, highlighting widespread concerns about political interference in federal data agencies. Despite being confirmed by the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 86-8, including support from Republicans like then-Senators JD Vance and Marco Rubio, her dismissal after a disappointing jobs report was seen as politicizing official economic statistics.
The July jobs report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a significant decrease in new jobs added, reporting figures of 33,000 and 73,000, which were well below initial expectations. This sluggish hiring contradicted the administration's positive economic narrative and became a key factor in the controversy surrounding McEntarfer's firing.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics operates under the Department of Labor but functions autonomously without direct political influence. It is staffed largely by career civil servant economists and researchers who conduct detailed surveys and analyze data about the U.S. labor force and economy to produce independent and nonpartisan statistics, including the monthly jobs report.
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