BLS Jobs Report Shows Minimal US August Growth Amid Employment Revisions

The latest U.S. jobs report revealed only 22,000 jobs were added in August, far below expectations, while unemployment rose to 4.3 percent, the highest in years. Additionally, prior months’ data were revised downward, with June showing a loss of 13,000 jobs, marking a concerning trend of negative revisions occurring 77 percent of the time since January 2023. This weak labor market performance is viewed as a sign of economic trouble, compounded by the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs that began in early August. Following the release of revised and disappointing job numbers, Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, accusing her without evidence of manipulating data, a move criticized by current Labor Department employees who defended the integrity of the jobs data and called for her reinstatement. These employees emphasized that the BLS operates under strict laws and statistical practices, and they urged the public to trust the reliability of the government’s economic data despite political controversies. The weak jobs data increases the likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates, which President Trump has been advocating for as inflation concerns remain tied to tariff-driven price increases.