Trump uses hard data to fire labor stats chief

Trump Accuses Labor Bureau of Purposefully Skewing Job Data

Donald Trump took a stage in the Oval Office on Thursday to claim that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) had deliberately altered figures to cast his predecessor, President Joe Biden, in a favorable light. The president was joined by Stephen Moore, a longtime adviser and economist from the Heritage Foundation, who presented charts purporting to show the “real” numbers.

Key Claims

• Under Biden, the BLS overestimated job creation by 1.5 million jobs. Moore said the Bureau had “grossly” inflated employment figures for the past two years.
• Trump said the BLS’s revisions were not merely an “error” but a purposeful manipulation, arguing that the agency had intentionally changed data.
• Moore highlighted “unpublished census data” indicating that, in the first five months of Trump’s term, the median household income adjusted for inflation rose by $1,174, a result the President called “incredible.”

BLS Revision Controversy

The BLS routinely revises employment data after publication, both upward and downward. In early August, the Bureau sharply revised employment growth for May and June, cutting jobs created by 258,000. Trump reacted with fury, calling the numbers “ridiculous” and terminating BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, who had been confirmed in January 2024.

Background on Moore

Trump had previously sought to name Moore to the Federal Reserve Board, but the idea was abandoned after criticism of Moore’s qualifications and past sexist remarks. Despite this, the current President remains a staunch supporter of the economist.