Trump Fires BLS Commissioner Following Disappointing Jobs Report

President TRUMP dismissed Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after the July jobs report revealed weaker-than-expected employment growth and significant downward revisions to prior months. The U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July, falling short of forecasts, while the unemployment rate climbed to 4.2%.

Revisions to May and June data erased 258,000 jobs from initial estimates, with May's gains slashed to 19,000 from 144,000 and June's cut to 14,000 from 147,000. The BLS attributed these adjustments to updated business reports and seasonal recalibrations.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer confirmed Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will serve as interim BLS head. McEntarfer, confirmed by an 86-8 Senate vote in January, becomes the latest casualty of Trump's aggressive response to unfavorable economic data.