President Donald Trump dismissed Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the director of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), following the release of a report showing weaker-than-expected job growth in July 2025. Trump accused McEntarfer, a Biden appointee, of manipulating employment data for political purposes, although no evidence was provided to support the claim. The firing occurred shortly after the report indicated a sharp slowdown in U.S. hiring, prompting concerns among economists, policymakers, and former BLS officials about the potential erosion of confidence in the integrity of the country's economic data. William Beach, McEntarfer's predecessor, criticized the move as unfounded and warned it could undermine trust in a key economic dataset. White House economic advisers defended the president's decision, citing issues with data revisions and emphasizing the need for accurate statistics. The incident has sparked widespread debate about the reliability of U.S. labor statistics and the broader implications for financial markets, policymaking, and economic analysis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has faced data collection challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic, is a critical agency whose monthly reports influence market behavior and economic forecasts. The firing is considered unprecedented and has raised questions about the future of economic data reporting in the United States.