Washington, D.C.: US President Donald Trump has fired Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), just hours after the release of weaker-than-expected jobs data.
The BLS reported that the US economy added only 73,000 jobs in July, well below analysts’ expectations of 109,000. The agency also revised down job gains for May and June by a combined 250,000, citing updated survey data.
Trump took to social media shortly after the release, accusing McEntarfer without evidence of manipulating the numbers to harm his administration. Markets reacted sharply. Economists and former officials warned that politicizing official statistics risks undermining public trust in government data.
Growing alarm over politicisation
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed the president’s actions, saying Trump ‘shoots the messenger’ when the numbers don’t support his narrative. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers warned that the move echoes authoritarian behavior.
McEntarfer, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2023 after more than two decades in public service, described her time at the BLS as ‘the honour of my life,’ emphasising the agency’s nonpartisan mission. Economist Heather Long of Navy Federal Credit Union called the labour data a ‘gamechanger’ and linked the slowdown to the uncertainty caused by Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy.
Tariff policy at the centre
The firing comes as Trump escalates his global trade agenda, imposing new tariffs of up to 50 percent on imports from countries around the world. While the measures are slightly less severe than those proposed earlier this year, they have pushed the average US tariff rate to about 17 percent—up from 2.5 percent at the start of 2025.
Trump has defended the tariffs as a way to boost domestic manufacturing and rebalance global trade. However, several companies have issued warnings over rising costs, and analysts say the policy’s drag on small businesses may be reflected in recent job data.
Fallout at the Fed and Labour Department
The BLS’s deputy commissioner, William Wiatrowski, will serve as acting head while the administration searches for a permanent replacement. The Labour Department has not commented on the firing.
Meanwhile, tensions are also flaring between Trump and the Federal Reserve. The president renewed attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powell, demanding rate cuts and stating Powell should also be put out to pasture. Trump may soon get a chance to reshape the Fed’s leadership, with board member Adriana Kugler announcing her resignation.
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