Summary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revised job numbers, decreasing them by over 250,000, leading President Donald Trump to fire the agency's head. Trump claimed the numbers were intentionally altered to reflect poorly on his administration. Job numbers undergo routine revisions, and recent changes are primarily due to more complete data and economic conditions.
Key Facts
- President Trump fired the head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics after job figures were revised down by more than 250,000.
- Trump claimed the figures were "rigged" against his administration.
- The BLS revises job numbers regularly as new data becomes available.
- Job figures come from surveys of households and businesses, with the latter being more reliable due to its larger sample size.
- The recent revisions in May and June were significant compared to typical changes.
- Revisions to job numbers are common, especially during economic downturns.
- In addition to recent figures, there were substantial job number revisions during the 2008 financial crisis.
