In recent days, former President Donald Trump has been talking about a so-called “whistleblower” who allegedly revealed “real” economic data, suggesting that the job creation and unemployment figures cited by President Joe Biden were significantly off. According to Trump, this mysterious source provided information showing that the actual job numbers were far less than what was reported.
However, Fox News host Neil Cavuto addressed these claims on his Thursday show, clarifying the situation and debunking Trump’s assertions. Cavuto explained that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) regularly publishes job numbers every month, and it is standard practice for these figures to be adjusted after about a month to ensure greater accuracy.
Cavuto pointed out that the BLS’s revised figures showed that the approximately 2.9 million jobs initially reported as gained between April 2023 and March 2024 were later adjusted to about 2.1 million—a discrepancy of roughly 800,000 jobs. While Trump suggested this adjustment was the result of secretive or nefarious actions, Cavuto emphasized that this revision process is routine and transparent.
“There was no cabal here. It’s not information that was leaked. It was a planned adjustment that the economic officials do,” Cavuto stated, reinforcing that the BLS operates independently and without political bias. He acknowledged that the 800,000-job discrepancy might seem “jarring,” but reiterated that it was a standard part of the BLS’s ongoing efforts to refine and correct economic data, rather than any hidden or sinister activity.
Trump’s claims about a “whistleblower” have added fuel to ongoing debates about the accuracy and transparency of economic data, particularly as the 2024 presidential race heats up. However, as Cavuto and other experts have clarified, these adjustments are a normal part of the economic reporting process, aimed at providing the most accurate picture of the job market possible.