Trump Fires Labor Statistics Commissioner Over Lower Job Numbers

Melbourne, August 4 — U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed Dr. Erica McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accusing her of underreporting job numbers in the latest employment data.

According to a CNBC report, the decision came just hours after the release of the monthly jobs report on Friday.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote:

“We need real and accurate job numbers. I’ve directed my team to immediately fire this Biden-appointed official. She manipulated the figures for political purposes.”

The BLS later confirmed:

“Dr. Erica McEntarfer has been removed from her position. Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will serve as acting commissioner.”

The report released Friday morning showed that in July, only 73,000 new non-farm jobs were added—far below analyst expectations. Additionally, figures for May and June were revised downward by a total of 258,000 jobs, making it the lowest adjustment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

In his post, Trump further alleged:

“Erica inflated job numbers before the election to boost Kamala Harris’s chances.”

McEntarfer is a professional statistician who has served under multiple administrations. Her removal, based on political accusations, has drawn widespread criticism.

William Beach, former BLS Commissioner and a Trump appointee, said on X (formerly Twitter):

“This firing is baseless and political. It jeopardizes the neutrality and credibility of independent statistical agencies.”

The jobs report also triggered a major sell-off in the U.S. stock market. The Dow Jones dropped 500 points, and the Nasdaq fell more than 2%. Treasury yields also declined significantly.

Analysts warn that the move signals a troubling shift within the U.S. administration.

Peter Mallouk, Chief Investment Officer at Creative Planning, told CNBC:

“Firing a long-standing public servant simply for releasing inconvenient data is a dangerous sign for administrative transparency.”

On the same day, President Trump also criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, accusing the Fed of deliberately cutting interest rates before the election to help Kamala Harris win.

Economists say the developments suggest an increasing politicization of economic data in the lead-up to the election—posing a threat to the integrity of democratic governance.