US President Donald Trump ordered the dismissal of Erika McEntarfer, head of the country's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The New York Times reported this.
The President's decision came after he expressed dissatisfaction with the official data presented by McEntarfer, which reflected weak indicators for the US labor market. Trump, without providing any evidence, called the released statistical data “fabricated” and stated that officials were “spreading false information.”
The newspaper writes that the president's anger was directed at the weak employment figures reflected in the official statistics, and Trump claims these results were manipulated for political purposes. It is noted that Erika McEntarfer was confirmed by the Senate and was responsible for preparing monthly labor statistics at the Department of Labor.
Experts commenting on the issue emphasize that this decision could further weaken public trust in government statistics.
“This is a very regrettable incident. Such a step could set a precedent – where any negative information, simply because it is unpleasant, could be a reason for dismissal in the future,” said William Beach, who headed the same bureau during Trump's first presidential term.
Sevinc Kərimova