Statement of Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 4, 2025 – “President Trump’s firing of Bureau and Labor Statistics (BLS) head Erika McEntarfer solely because the BLS monthly jobs report showed weaker job growth is another deeply troubling move in this administration’s ongoing effort to squelch and manipulate information – and the latest signs of a dismantling of our democracy.
“Removing officials who ensure the accuracy of government data is a textbook strategy of authoritarian rulers who seek to sabotage transparency, while demanding constant praise regardless of the facts, and believing they are accountable to no one. The BLS plays an integral role in analyzing the number of jobs created and unemployment rates, as well as tracking inflation, consumer prices and wages – all issues that were front and center during the last election.
“BLS data also are critical to understanding how different groups of workers, such as women workers, are experiencing the labor market, especially women of color workers whose experiences are often ignored. Receiving accurate data about the job market is essential to creating an economy that works for everyone, and rejecting such data because it doesn’t fit the story you want to tell can lead to economic decisions that solely benefit those in power and leave too many workers behind.
“While previous administrations may not have agreed with every detail of a BLS report, firing the BLS Commissioner for publishing the truth is an excessive response that is simply not normal, and cannot be explained away by complaints about unfavorable data. This latest action to undermine research that the President does not like is part of his continued efforts to bury the harms that his administration’s policies are inflicting upon communities across our country. As an organization that relies on BLS data to track women’s economic progress, we will continue to call for transparency and accuracy to ensure that we are getting the truth on who truly benefits from the Trump economy.”
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