By Matt Underwood Trump’s BLS nominee suggests suspending jobs report, and the implications are pretty striking. The idea, apparently, is to simply stop reporting the jobs numbers altogether. It’s like a magician making a problem disappear, but instead of a rabbit, you get… well, the truth. The basic logic seems to be: if you don’t test for COVID, there’s no more COVID; likewise, if you stop publishing job reports, there are no more job losses. Simple, right?
The potential motivation behind this move is pretty clear: to obscure the reality of the economic situation. Some see it as a way to cover up the administration’s failures, much like a shell game. The comments suggest that there’s a sense that the economic data has been “flawed or faked”, and that the dismissal of the previous bureau chief and the hiring of a new one is a telltale sign of this. The new approach is to simply remove the data altogether. It’s a move reminiscent of the “see no evil, hear no evil” approach.
This tactic might seem counterintuitive to some, especially considering the administration’s claims of “transparency.” Instead of presenting evidence to support their claims, they’re opting to eliminate the evidence altogether. Some have mentioned a business owner struggling with tariffs and a downturn in business due to the current political climate. This person’s account paints a bleak picture of the economy, where sales are declining despite improvements to the business, and where buying the business has become untenable.
The fear is that the removal of jobs reports could trigger a recession, particularly when coupled with trade wars and rising costs. The financial markets would inevitably realize the deception, leading to a downturn. Others point out that there are alternative sources for job data, like private reports, so the administration wouldn’t be able to completely hide the truth.
There’s a sense that the suspension of the job report is only the first of many moves to come. If there’s no more jobs report, then maybe there’s no more bad news. But the reality is different; the economic turmoil will still be felt even if it’s not being reported. The underlying problems of unemployment, inflation, and the overall direction of the economy are very real, and hiding them won’t make them disappear.
Ultimately, suspending the jobs report looks like a desperate move to control the narrative and protect the administration’s image. However, it may backfire, causing a loss of confidence and potentially accelerating the economic decline. The removal of this critical data point could be seen as a major red flag, raising concerns about the integrity of the information being released and the administration’s commitment to transparency. It is reminiscent of a third-world country’s tactics, and will likely cause more damage than it helps, as more people become aware of the problems, and the true depth of it all, even if it is not reported.