Trump fires labor commissioner who once overestimated job report by 818,000

Trump fires Labor Commissioner Who Once Overestimated Job Report by 818,000

by
August 2, 2025
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President Donald Trump on Friday removed Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Dr. Erika McEntarfer from her post, citing what he claims was politically motivated manipulation of federal employment figures ahead of the 2024 election.

The move comes after the BLS issued the June 2025 jobs report.

McEntarfer released a major downward revision to its March 2024 jobs data, reducing total employment estimates between April 2023 and March 2024 by 818,000 — the largest such correction in 15 years. The original figure of 2.9 million jobs gained was cut to 2.1 million.

That report came just three months after McEntarfer was appointed by former President Joe Biden.

That action sent shockwaves through the nation, with many saying the numbers were inflated for political gains.

Now, Trump is citing that incident, but claiming it happened in November of last year, but also saying it was done to impact the election.

In a Truth Social post, Trump alleged that McEntarfer, appointed during the Biden administration, released overly positive job reports leading up to the 2024 election to benefit then-candidate Kamala Harris. He called the reporting a “total scam” and accused McEntarfer of “faking the Jobs Numbers.”

“They came out with numbers that were very favorable to Kamala. They were trying to get her elected,” Trump wrote. He added that the downward revision on November 15 — shortly after the election — proved the data had been manipulated.

The White House confirmed McEntarfer’s dismissal Friday afternoon, with Trump stating she would be replaced by “someone much more competent and qualified.” No successor has been named.

The Labor Department has not commented on the firing. While statistical revisions are common and typically follow standard procedures, the sharp scale of this correction has drawn intense political scrutiny.

Key Points

  • President Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a downward jobs revision of 818,000 positions
  • Trump accused McEntarfer of inflating pre-election jobs data to help Kamala Harris
  • The job revision is the largest in 15 years and has fueled political backlash

A staggering jobs revision has triggered a political firestorm — and cost the nation’s top labor data official her job.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital news organization covering New Jersey, national politics, public policy, public safety, and community affairs. With years of experience reporting on local government, elections, law enforcement, and issues impacting residents throughout New Jersey, Stilton has built a reputation for delivering timely news, in-depth reporting, and accountability journalism.

As the founder of Shore News Network, Stilton oversees editorial operations, investigative reporting, and breaking news coverage while working closely with journalists, public officials, and community leaders. His reporting has covered municipal government, state politics, federal policy, public records investigations, emergency management, and major news events affecting local communities.

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