America is showing new signs of stagflation -- inflation running hotter, the job market suffering new weakness, and economists warning both are at risk of getting worse in the months ahead.
The numbers: A key measure of inflation posted the biggest increase in four months in June as the delayed effects of higher U.S. tariffs began to filter through the economy, raising questions about whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates soon.[image or embed]
" MarketWatch (@marketwatch.com) Jul 31, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Nothing to worry about. The numbers next month will show a half million new jobs and inflation of 0%
Who is Erika McEntarfer, the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner fired by Trump?
apnews.com
... The head of the agency that compiles the closely watched monthly jobs report usually toils in obscurity, but on Friday, the current holder of that job was loudly fired by the president of the United States.[emphasis mine]
Erika McEntarfer, a longtime government employee, bore the brunt of President Donald Trump's unhappiness with Friday's jobs report, which showed that hiring had slowed in July and was much less in May and June that previously estimated. He accused her without evidence of manipulating the job numbers and noted she was an appointee of President Joe Biden.
McEntarfer, a longtime government worker who had served as BLS head for a year and a half, did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press. But her predecessor overseeing the jobs agency, former co-workers and associates have denounced the firing, warning about its repercussions and saying McEntarfer was nonpolitical in her role.
Here's what to know about Erika McEntarfer:
McEntarfer has a strong background on economics
McEntarfer, whose research focuses on job loss, retirement, worker mobility, and wage rigidity, had previously worked at the Census Bureau's Center for Economic Studies, the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Policy and the White House Council of Economic Advisers in a nonpolitical role.
She has a bachelor's degree in Social Science from Bard College and a doctoral degree in economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
She was confirmed as BLS head on a bipartisan vote
McEntarfer was nominated in 2023 to serve as BLS head, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions recommended that her nomination go to the full Senate for a vote.
She was confirmed as BLS commissioner in January 2024 on a bipartisan 86-8 Senate vote. Among the Republican senators who voted to confirm her included then-Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who is now Trump's vice president, and then-Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who is now Trump's secretary of state. ...
Drudge Retort Headlines
Inside a 'Whites Only' Arkansas Community (96 comments)
Florida Locals Defy DeSantis, Restore Pulse Rainbow Crosswalk (23 comments)
Gabbard Revokes Security Clearances of 37 National Security Pros (23 comments)
Trump's Epstein Problem Is Real: New Poll (21 comments)
Retort Weekend Tunes (20 comments)
John Roberts and the Death of Rule of Law (20 comments)
Greene Issues Scathing Rebuke of Conditions in Gaza (18 comments)
As Famine Hits Gaza, Jews Abroad Take a Hard Look at Israel's War (14 comments)
Save Us, Invasive Lead Lizards (10 comments)
Extinct Volcano in Arkansas Is Public Diamond Mine (8 comments)