USAFacts, the nonpartisan non-profit organization led by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, rarely weighs in on political controversies. But the firestorm surrounding the firing of the nation’s top employment statistician strikes directly at what it depends on most: reliable federal data.
“Undermining trust in official statistics threatens the integrity of the data that millions of Americans — from business leaders to everyday voters — depend on to understand our economy,” the Bellevue-based organization said in a public statement after President Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on Friday.
“Data about jobs, prices, and wages belong to the American people,” USA Facts added in its statement. “Their tax dollars fund this work, and they deserve information that is accurate, timely, and free from political interference.”
The firing of the BLS leader came hours after the agency reported weaker-than-expected July jobs numbers and significant downward revisions to prior months’ data.
Without citing evidence, Trump accused McEntarfer of rigging the numbers “for political purposes” and said he would replace her with “someone much more competent and qualified.”
USAFacts depends on government data to generate its analysis and reports, so the timeliness and accuracy of federal numbers are critical to its work. BLS provides many economic indicators beyond the monthly jobs numbers — including inflation, unemployment, and wage data.
In an interview this week, Nicole Bateman, USAFacts’ senior research manager, said the organization remains confident in the accuracy of BLS data. It’s part of the normal process for jobs data to be revised as the agency receives more complete responses from its surveys.
When asked about USAFacts’ take on the firing, Bateman said: “It’s essential that that agency remain independent and free of political interference, as it has been for its history.”
USAFacts is already tracking delays in other federal data — including immigration statistics and climate disaster reports — but BLS data continues to flow normally.
However, Bateman acknowledged that McEntarfer’s removal “has raised concerns around the politicization of data, really on both sides of the aisle.”
The concerns extend well beyond USAFacts. Banks are reportedly getting anxious calls from clients worried about the reliability of U.S. economic data, with JPMorgan’s chief economist warning that politicization of the data collection process poses a threat to financial markets on par with Trump’s attempts to influence Federal Reserve decisions.
The $2.1 trillion market for Treasury inflation-protected securities, where payouts are based on BLS consumer price data, could be particularly vulnerable.
Beyond the political controversy, BLS faces real technical challenges. Survey response rates for BLS’s Current Population Survey have plummeted from 90% in 2013 to 67% today — a decline that accelerated during COVID-19. The agency is developing a web-based collection tool to address the problem, with implementation expected in 2027.
“Survey response rates are certainly important for data quality,” Bateman said in a follow-up message. “The BLS has been transparent about declining response rates and its efforts to reverse the long-term decline. Given the expertise within BLS, we trust their position that their data remains reliable.”
The spotlight on government data comes at a key time for USAFacts, as it prepares its annual “America In Facts” report for delivery to Congress in September. (See the 2024 report.)
The report — a visual presentation of data on topics of particular interest to lawmakers — will be accompanied by in-person visits to Washington, D.C., where Bateman said the integrity of government data will no doubt be a major topic of conversation.
Founded by Ballmer in 2017 to make government data more accessible and understandable, USAFacts aggregates statistics from more than 70 government sources to create nonpartisan visualizations and analysis on everything from federal spending to education outcomes.
The organization also produces an annual “10-K” report modeled after corporate filings, released each Tax Day, that treats government finances like a business report.
For now, USAFacts is taking a wait-and-see approach. “We don’t know exactly what the removal of the commissioner will mean for the data,” Bateman said, “but we are certainly paying close attention to the future releases from the agency.”
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