The fired head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is warning about data manipulation

""Economic data must be free from partisan influence," McEntarfer said in her first public remarks since her sudden ousting by President Donald Trump last month. McEntarfer made the comments at an event on Tuesday at her alma mater, Bard College. She compared BLS data to "traffic lights" and said that any manipulation of these reports could hurt people. This is because policymakers, investors, and businesses depend on this data to make decisions."

""Markets have to trust the data are not manipulated," McEntarfer said. "Firing your chief statisticians for releasing data you do not like, it has serious economic consequences." "The list of countries that have gone down this route, it's not a good list," she said. She added that steep and persistent cuts to the agency's staff and budget made it harder to track the labor market and overall economic growth."

"Trump said that the report, which showed the US had added about 250,000 fewer jobs than expected, had been manipulated to hurt him politically. BLS often revises its jobs reports. "We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post at the time."

Erika McEntarfer was ousted after a jobs report showed about 250,000 fewer jobs than expected. She warned that economic data must be free from partisan influence and compared BLS statistics to "traffic lights," saying manipulation could hurt people. She said markets must trust that data are not manipulated and that firing chief statisticians for unfavorable releases has serious economic consequences. She said the list of countries that have taken this route is not a good list. She added that cuts to BLS staff and budget hinder tracking the labor market and economic growth. Trump posted on Truth Social that he directed her firing to ensure accurate jobs numbers and to replace her with someone more "competent and qualified."

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