Trump fires BLS director over weak labor report, names interim replacement

U.S. President Donald Trump has fired Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the release of July labor data that was weaker than expected and downward revisions for previous months.

Trump accused McEntarfer of “distorting data for political purposes,” which led to her dismissal. The BLS confirmed the firing and announced that William Wiatrowski has been appointed as interim director.

The July report showed that the U.S. economy added only 73,000 jobs, significantly below forecasts, while employment growth estimates for May and June were drastically revised downward.

Former BLS director William Beach criticized the move, warning that the politicization of statistical agencies “undermines the statistical mission of the BLS and public trust in labor data.”