WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump confirmed he ordered the removal of Erika McEntarfer as Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) following the release of the July jobs report, which showed weaker-than-expected employment growth.
McEntarfer was replaced after a report showed job creation fell short of forecasts and raised concerns about the pace of economic expansion. The administration cited dissatisfaction with the data, although Trump did not allege any misconduct or data manipulation by the BLS.
As head of the agency responsible for compiling monthly employment statistics, McEntarfer played a central role in reporting labor trends to policymakers and the public. The BLS is recognized as a nonpartisan agency whose data influence economic decision‐making.
Trump has not yet named a successor. The choice is likely to receive scrutiny due to questions about maintaining the nonpartisan integrity of employment reporting.