How is Bureau of Labor Statistics data collected, and why is Trump targeting it?

President Donald Trump ordered BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer fired after federal data showed higher than expected unemployment.

Yesterday at 6:04 p.m. EDT


Revised figures released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed things were worse for the labor market than initially reported in May and June. (Wesley Lapointe/For The Washington Post)

By Rachel Lerman, Lauren Kaori Gurley and Andrew Ackerman

A government agency best known for its number-crunching prowess became the target of the president’s criticism last week when a federal jobs report was revised to show a less-than-rosy economic picture.

President Donald Trump ordered the firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after a bleak jobs report showed signs of a slowing economy, and revised figures revealed things were worse for the labor market than initially reported in May and June.

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By Rachel Lerman
Rachel Lerman covers the economy and technology for The Washington Post. She focuses on reporting visually driven stories.follow on X@rachelerman

By Lauren Kaori Gurley
Lauren Kaori Gurley is the labor reporter for The Washington Post. She previously covered labor and tech for Vice for three years. follow on X@laurenkgurley

By Andrew Ackerman
Andrew covers the way Washington oversees Wall Street. follow on X@amacker

trieverlover 10 hours ago

Dr. Ronny Jackson for BLS commissioner. He knows how to come up with favorable numbers.