Overview

• President Trump issued a decree removing Erika McEntarfer as Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner after May and June job gains were revised down by 19,000 and 14,000 positions, erasing 258,000 roles from official data.
• Trump alleged without evidence that McEntarfer manipulated employment figures to benefit the Biden administration and demanded her immediate dismissal.
• Former BLS commissioner William Beach and economist Larry Summers condemned the firing as a dangerous precedent that undermines the agency’s nonpartisan mission.
• The National Association for Business Economics said recent data revisions reflect reduced resources at statistical agencies rather than deliberate tampering.
• The ouster follows Fed governor Adriana Kugler’s resignation and occurs as the Federal Reserve prepares its next interest rate decision.