(qlmbusinessnews.com . Sat 2nd Aug, 2025) London, UK —
US Economic Turmoil: Trump Fires Statistician Amidst Tariff Backlash
In a move that has sent shockwaves through Wall Street and beyond, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to dismiss Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the publication of disappointing job growth figures. Trump's decision, announced via a social media post, came without substantiation as he accused McEntarfer of politicising job data.
This controversial decision occurs amidst growing concern over the potential economic repercussions of Trump's heightened tariff measures. Markets globally have reacted negatively, with a significant downturn in major stock indexes across the US, Europe, and Asia following the President's advancement of elevated tariff rates on worldwide goods.
The President's actions have sparked alarm regarding potential White House interference in the dissemination of crucial economic information. Ryan Sweet, Oxford Economics' chief US economist, highlighted the importance of maintaining the integrity of economic data, expressing that any doubts cast on this could lead to substantial issues.
Despite facing criticism for his tariff strategy, which Trump argues will revitalise American manufacturing and recalibrate global trade, the recent employment data and corporate updates on tariff impacts suggest a challenging road ahead. The BLS's recent jobs report unveiled a mere addition of 73,000 US jobs in July, alongside significant downward revisions for May and June figures, sparking Trump to call for McEntarfer's immediate dismissal for supposedly inaccurate reporting.
William Wiatrowski, the BLS's deputy commissioner, has been named as the interim head amid the search for McEntarfer's successor, a seasoned government employee with over two decades of experience and confirmed by the US Senate almost unanimously in 2023.
Experts and analysts have voiced their support for McEntarfer, condemning the move as an attack on the unbiased and high-quality nature of governmental statistical analysis. There is growing concern that such actions could undermine trust in the US's statistical systems and the overall integrity of its economic data.
Amidst this turmoil, Trump has doubled down on his trade policy, imposing new tariffs that have led to volatility in global markets and increased the average US tariff rate significantly since the start of the year.
The President has also criticised Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell for not reducing borrowing costs quickly enough and has leveraged the resignation of Federal Reserve committee member Adriana Kugler as an opportunity to influence future rate policy decisions.
This development marks a critical point in the ongoing debate over economic data integrity and the governmental interference that could potentially alter the landscape of global economic policy and market confidence.
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