Management by Fear
I didn’t know Dr. Erika McEntarfer, and I’m pretty sure most of you hadn’t heard of her either—until a few days ago. Dr. McEntarfer was fired by President Donald Trump from her position as Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on August 1. The firing came shortly after the BLS released its monthly jobs data for July, which showed surprisingly weak hiring and significant downward revisions to job growth in the previous two months.
The reason? In President Trump’s own words: “In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED…..”
That is a very serious accusation—especially when aimed at a career economist, a Ph.D. who has devoted many years to public service across several positions.
The Commissioner of the BLS is a presidential appointment that requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Dr. McEntarfer was appointed in 2023, after a long career at the Census Bureau and other agencies, serving under presidents of both parties, including Mr. Trump. She was confirmed on a bipartisan basis in 2024, with Vice President JD Vance (then a senator from Ohio) among the Republicans who supported her.
It is well known that President Trump hires and fires advisors and other political appointees at will. Even U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an interview with The New York Times: “I tell people every day I wake up and I look at the president’s tweets, to see if I’ve been fired.”
However, in my view, firing the head of the BLS because of statistics that are unfavorable to the administration is a different matter entirely. What now? Presumably, the person replacing Dr. McEntarfer—and his or her team—will be expected to go back and re-check the results. And if they find no flaws?
Perhaps Mr. Trump sees this like the CEO of a company. A senior manager sends him a report showing poor performance, so he fires him/her on the spot. No prior warning, no fact-checking. But today, this management style is broadly recognized as harmful. A climate of fear suppresses communication, learning, and innovation.
“Drive out fear,” said quality and management guru W. Edwards Deming—one of his famous 14 Points for Management. “Whenever there is fear, you will get the wrong figures,” said Deming.
I took an interest in this not only because it concerns the world’s largest economy (still), the global leader in innovation, and Israel’s most important partner. The firing of Dr. McEntarfer reminded me of what can happen if the fragile balance of power among branches of government in Israel is disrupted.
Returning to President Trump’s response to the disappointing labor figures, it is very possible he would say Dr. Deming was entirely wrong. He may prefer Machiavelli’s approach: “It is much safer to be feared than loved, if one must choose.” (The Prince, Chapter 17).
