BLS Revises Down 2023 Job Growth by 439,000

Critics question reliability of reporting methods as government jobs make up a quarter of new positions.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has revised down its initial employment growth reports for 2023, erasing 439,000 jobs that were initially reported as created.
The downward revisions have been consistent throughout the year, with 10 out of the last 11 months seeing downward revisions.
Government jobs have been a significant part of the job growth numbers, with one out of every four jobs created last year being a government job.
The BLS's reporting methods have been criticized as unreliable, with some suggesting that the numbers are being manipulated to present a more favorable view of the economy.
The actual number of jobs created under the Biden administration since February 2020 stands at about 4.86 million, with many of the jobs reported as 'newly created' being recoveries from COVID-era shutdowns.