Revised BLS data shows the job market is weaker than expected

"On Tuesday, a press release explained that 911,000 fewer jobs (-0.6%) were added to the U.S. economy over the last year, in a period that ended in March. The new data reveals that only an estimated 70,000 jobs were added each month, instead of 147,000. Overall, only 850,000 were added to the market over the past year, less than half of what was previously reported."

"The new data comes weeks after Trump fired the BLS's top official, Erika McEntarfer, who was confirmed last year. McEntarfer's firing followed another string of data revisions, which also pointed to job losses and weak hiring. "We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY," Trump posted on Truth Social. The post continued: "Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate; they can't be manipulated for political purposes," the president wrote."

Revised BLS figures show 911,000 fewer jobs were added over the last year through March, lowering monthly gains to about 70,000 instead of 147,000 and totaling roughly 850,000 jobs. The revision is the largest preliminary adjustment since 2000 and marks the biggest jobs shortfall since the 2009 financial crisis. An official report is expected in February 2026. The revisions followed earlier downward adjustments and coincided with the firing of BLS official Erika McEntarfer. The president criticized data accuracy publicly, and economists say the updated figures point to a more pronounced cooling in the labor market.

Read at Fast Company