The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the U.S. government's principal fact-finding agency for labor economics, established in 1884 under the Department of the Interior with statistician Carroll D. Wright as its first commissioner; it was transferred to the Department of Labor in 1913 and moved its headquarters to Suitland, Maryland, in 2024. It collects and disseminates vital data on employment and wages, publishing the Monthly Labor Review since 1915 and the highly anticipated monthly "US jobs report" (Employment Situation Summary). The agency is led by a commissioner serving a four-year term, with recent leaders including Erica Groshen (2013) and William Beach. In a dramatic event on August 1, 2025, President Donald Trump fired Commissioner Erika McEntarfer just hours after a downward revision in job creation was published, shocking Wall Street and raising serious concerns about White House interference in economic data—though experts noted the commissioner lacks access to alter the underlying systems. The White House subsequently nominated Brett Matsumoto for the role in May 2026. To maintain impartiality, the BLS schedules major data releases more than a year in advance, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility for all.