Release: Former Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Erika McEntarfer ’95 Spoke at Bard College in First Public Remarks Since Dismissal
Hosted by the Levy Economics Institute, Bard alumna Erika McEntarfer ’95, former commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), spoke to an audience of Bard students, faculty, staff, and community members in Olin Hall on September 16. She recounted the day of her abrupt dismissal following the release of the July jobs report and discussed the ways that nonpartisan statisticians affect our everyday lives as Americans. McEntarfer compared the efforts of the BLS to the work of city planners involved in transportation infrastructure. “Real-time economic data is like live traffic updates—helpful for making quick decisions—like adjusting interest rates quickly to avoid an economic downturn,” she said. The data produced by BLS is used widely, from top officials in the federal government to traders on Wall Street, whose decisions have real consequences for Americans. “The decisions they make—to adjust interest rates to avoid a recession, to build a new plant in your city, to sell stocks or bonds—impact how easy it will be for you to find a good job, how affordable it will be for you to buy a house and raise a family, and how comfortable your retirement will be.”
Introducing McEntarfer, Pavlina Tcherneva, president of the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, noted that this event was more than just an academic talk. “This is our community gathering to champion a vital idea: that truth and rigorous analysis matter,” Tcherneva said. “That our ability to solve problems and find common ground depends on a shared commitment to facts and honest inquiry.” She emphasized that the work done at the Levy Institute relies on “reliable, trustworthy data,” and that without that, “We would lose our capacity to truly understand the economic forces shaping our communities and our country.”
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- Financial Times: “Fired BLS chief calls Donald Trump’s attack on US data agency a ‘dangerous step’”
- Bloomberg: “Former BLS Chief Recounts Shock of Getting Fired Over Jobs Data”
- Politico: “Ex-BLS chief said she was blindsided by Trump firing Erika McEntarfer said she is fearful about the possible loss of the statistical agency’s independence from political actors.”
- The Hill: “BLS chief fired by Trump over jobs report comments publicly for first time”
- The Guardian: “Labor statistics chief fired by Trump sounds alarm over White House’s ‘dangerous’ interference”
- Daily Mail: “Fired federal employee warns Trump he made a ‘dangerous’ misstep when he publicly terminated her”
- Business Insider: “The fired head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is warning about data manipulation”
- Reuters: “Ex-BLS chief says her firing by Trump marked ‘dangerous step’ for economy”
- The Independent: “Former BLS chair breaks silence on being fired by Trump and going from unknown to ‘household name’”
- The Huffington Post: “Official Fired By Trump For Poor Jobs Report Breaks Silence On Shocking Ouster”