Trump Dismisses BLS Leader Amid Weak U.S. August Jobs Data

President Donald Trump has downplayed the significance of the upcoming August jobs report, asserting that the "real numbers" reflecting the U.S. labor market's strength will only be apparent a year from now. This statement came ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' first jobs report since Trump dismissed its commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, following weak employment data for July that showed minimal job growth and sparked concerns about a slowing labor market. Trump suggested that future job growth would be driven by the opening of "huge, beautiful places, the palaces of genius," though he did not specify which projects he meant. Economists have expressed concern that the dismissal of McEntarfer and the president's public skepticism could politicize employment data, potentially undermining public trust in its accuracy. White House economic officials, including National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, acknowledged the need for improvement in labor market data but maintained that the reports would be as accurate as possible. Trump made these remarks while hosting a White House dinner for major technology executives, including leaders from Meta, Google, Apple, and Microsoft.