US President Donald Trump defended firing BLS head Erika McEntarfer after a weak jobs report, accusing her of past data manipulation. The move sparked strong criticism from Democrats and economists, who warned it could undermine trust in official labor statistics, according to The Hill.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly labor report Friday showed that the US economy added only 73,000 jobs in July, far below expectations. It also sharply revised down the employment growth that had been previously reported in May and June - by a combined 2,58,000 jobs.