Sat, 02 Aug 2025

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 Trump fires lead official on economic data as tariffs cause market drop

The move comes as a weaker-than-expected jobs report stoked fears about tariffs.
The decision was made without evidence and came as global stock markets shuddered due to Trump's plans to sharply raise tariffs on goods around the world. The firing has been met with concern from economists, who say high-quality economic data is essential for businesses. McEntarfer had worked at the BLS for over 20 years and was confirmed by the US Senate near unanimously in 2023. She thanked her colleagues and civil servants for their service to the nation. The decision has also raised alarm about White House interference in economic data, with some forecasting that Trump's tariffs will hurt the economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employers added just 73,000 jobs in July, and revised estimates of job growth in May and June down by 250,000 jobs. Analysts say revisions are normal, but this month's changes were larger than usual. Some speculated that they could reflect a hit to small businesses, which are typically slower to respond to surveys and vulnerable to tariffs. Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, defended McEntarfer, saying she had conducted herself with "great integrity". Jed Kolko, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the firing raised serious alarm about the integrity of US economic data. Trump defended his decision and said her departure was needed to ensure there were "people that we can trust" in these posts. He also made comments about the accuracy of jobs numbers and the need to fire people who are "phoning it".
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