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Trump demands firing of Biden official
President Donald Trump on Friday had his team remove the head of the agency that produces the monthly jobs figures, after a weak report showed hiring slowed and was much weaker in April and May than previously reported.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Friday fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after a report showed hiring slowed in July and was much weaker in May and June than previously reported.
Trump in a post on his social media platform, alleged that the figures were manipulated for political reasons and said that Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, should be fired.
What they're saying:
"I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY," Trump said on Truth Social. "She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified."
After his initial post, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said on X that McEntarfer was no longer leading the bureau and that William Wiatrowski, the deputy commissioner, would serve as the acting director.
"I support the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS," Chavez-DeRemer said.
FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the jobs report from the Oval Office at the White House on March 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
July jobs report
By the numbers:
Friday’s jobs report showed that just 73,000 jobs were added last month and that 258,000 fewer jobs were created May and June than previously estimated.
The surprisingly weak hiring numbers led investors to step up their expectations for an interest rate cut in September. The market’s odds of a quarter-point cut by the Federal Reserve rose to around 85% from just under 40% a day earlier, according to data from CME FedWatch.
Erika McEntarfer
The backstory:
McEntarfer was nominated by Biden in 2023 and became the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in January 2024. Commissioners typically serve four-year terms but since they are political appointees, they can be fired. The commissioner is the only political appointee of the agency, which has hundreds of career civil servants.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press.