Then President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, then-Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) just appointed by former President Obama. This decision follows on the heels of a controversial July jobs report. McEntarfer, a longtime government employee with a reputation for nonpartisan professionalism, faced Trump’s ire as he accused her of manipulating job numbers without providing evidence.
The BLS is responsible for compiling and releasing the monthly jobs report, a crucial economic indicator closely monitored by policymakers, economists, and the public. Former co-workers and intellectuals are vociferously coming to the defense of McEntarfer’s firing. Perhaps inevitably, they focus on her fierce dedication to accuracy and her devotion to data analysis free of political tilt.
Since her nomination in 2023, McEntarfer had won support from all over the country. Her scholarly research focuses on employer-sponsored job loss, retirement decisions of older workers, interregional worker mobility, and wage rigidity. Prior to coming to BLS, she was at the Census Bureau’s Center for Economic Studies. In addition to these roles, she spent time at Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy and the White House Council of Economic Advisers, all in nonpolitical positions.
Critics of the firing have voiced strong alarm over its short- and long-run impacts on the independence and integrity of our economic data. Heather Boushey, a senior research fellow at Harvard University, applauded McEntarfer’s professional approach.
“She showed up every day to focus on the best analysis and the best approach to her field and not get political. That is what I saw from her time and again. She is brilliant and well-respected among labor economists generally.” – Heather Boushey
Advocates on behalf of McEntarfer contend that her approach to the job was rooted in nonpartisan fact-based analysis, not political retribution. Sarah J. Glynn underscored McEntarfer’s sterling reputation for keeping data scrupulously accurate.
“She had a sterling reputation as someone who is concerned about the accuracy of the data and not someone who puts a political spin on her work.” – Sarah J. Glynn
In the aftermath of her firing, William Beach, former commissioner of the BLS, characterized Trump’s allegations as “groundless” and warned that such actions set “a dangerous precedent and undermine the statistical mission of the Bureau.”
McEntarfer’s firing followed a tumultuous period. She should have been able to avoid the deep political pressure the administration put on her to prettify labor stats. It was Trump’s bad mood over the one July jobs report that led to her firing. This occurred even after she had worked throughout her career to remain unbiased in her position.
Former associates are describing how McEntarfer never took part in efforts to politicize data during his time at T4America. Rather, she stuck to providing the straight facts about unemployment numbers. It’s this commitment to the highest standards of professionalism that has established her as something of a legendary figure among labor economists and statisticians.
The ramifications of McEntarfer’s firing go well beyond her individual career. Observers warn that this action could deter future appointees from pursuing positions that require them to maintain nonpartisan integrity in their analyses.
“The many reasons to quickly confirm Dr. McEntarfer as the new BLS Commissioner all boil down to this: the agency, like the entire statistical system, is undergoing an intense, significant period of change and Dr. McEntarfer’s wealth of research and statistical experience have equipped her to be the strong leader that BLS needs to meet these challenges.” – Friends of the BLS
McEntarfer’s sudden ouster is an opportunity to ask very important questions of where the BLS will be headed amidst tightening political winds. As an appointee of President Joe Biden, her tenure was expected to bring stability to an agency critical for economic data collection.
