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yesterday

Trump Fires BLS Commissioner, Fueling Concerns Over Data Independence

William Wiatrowski has pledged to preserve the bureau’s nonpartisan data standards as President Trump readies a new commissioner nomination this week

Job seekers wait in line to enter a job fair event in Silver Spring, Maryland, on April 16th. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before walking across the South Lawn of the White House to board Marine One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Overview

  • President Trump dismissed BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after the agency reported just 73,000 jobs added in July and downward revisions of 258,000 positions for May and June, calling the data “rigged” to hurt Republicans.
  • White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett defended the firing by citing the magnitude of revisions as proof that the bureau’s data lacked transparency and reliability.
  • Acting Commissioner William Wiatrowski sent an all-staff memo affirming that the BLS’s mission to provide nonpartisan, high-quality economic statistics remains unchanged.
  • Senators Ron Wyden and Rand Paul, along with economists including Michael Feroli, warned that dismissing a career statistician over unfavorable numbers threatens the credibility of economic indicators and could destabilize markets and policy decisions.
  • President Trump has said he will nominate a new Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner within days as the White House faces ongoing scrutiny over political interference in data collection.