Donald Trump Order to fire data to federal government officials responsible for labor statistics, showing in a few hours Employment growth has stalled This summer, he was accused of “firing the messenger.”
The U.S. President claims that Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika Mcentarfer “fakes” employment figures in the advance of last year’s election to increase Kamala Harris’ chances of victory.
He did not make any evidence of the allegation and insisted that The U.S. economy In fact, his watch was “thriving”.
But Friday’s job figures tell a very different story and raise questions about the state of the labor market since Trump’s return to office.
“We need accurate work numbers,” he wrote. “I have instructed my team to fire this competitive political appointment immediately. She will be replaced by someone who is more capable and qualified.”
Contact McENTARFER and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for comment.
Trump’s sudden announcement as administration officials scrambled to explain a boring job report. Not only did job growth fail to meet July expectations, but previous estimates for May and June were significantly lower.
He was quickly accused of trying to hide accurate statistics. “Trump is firing Messenger because he doesn’t seem to like work numbers that reflect the serious damage he has done to the economy,” said Lily Roberts, managing director of the American Progress Center’s Inclusion Center for Progress.
“Politicizing our country’s data collection on what’s going on in the economy … will make it harder to create an economy to ensure everyone is doing well,” Roberts added. “Borrowing from authoritarian scripts will promote more uncertainty, which will cause Americans in the coming years.”
Paul Schroeder, executive director of the Federal Bureau of Statistics’ Professional Association Committee, called the president’s allegations “very harmful and outrageous”, adding: “It not only undermines the integrity of federal economic statistics, but will also require the politicization of data that are independent and trustworthy. This action is a serious mistake.
McEntarfer is a widely respected economist and senior employee of the federal government. She has previously worked with the U.S. Census Bureau under George W. Bush and the U.S. Census Bureau under Barack Obama, Trump and Joe Biden.
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In January 2024, her nomination was supported by four former BLS commissioners before Mcentarfer confirmed her current position in the U.S. Senate.
In a letter also signed by the organization, including the American Statistics Association and a series of senior economists, they said there were “many reasons” to confirm McEntarfer as a labor statistics commissioner, citing her “proficient research and statistics experience.”
Eventually, she was confirmed in the Senate vote, with 86 votes in favor and 8 votes against.
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