President Shared Unreleased Jobs Figures Online Before Official Release

President Donald Trump posted a chart on his Truth Social account late on Jan. 8 that included job-market figures not scheduled for public release until the Bureau of Labor Statistics published its December jobs report the next morning. The social-media post appeared between roughly 8:20 and 9:00 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 8; the BLS released its monthly report at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Jan. 9, roughly 12 hours later.

The chart displayed aggregate, year-to-date sector totals that matched the BLS numbers in the December report: a cumulative private-sector gain of 654,000 jobs "since January" and a 181,000 decline in government employment for 2025. The official headline for December showed a gain of 50,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent. Screenshots of the Truth Social post circulated widely online in the hours after it was published.

A White House official characterized the post as "an inadvertent public disclosure of aggregate data that was partially derived from pre-released information," and said the administration was reviewing protocols regarding economic data releases. Another White House official criticized coverage of the incident, saying the press should instead focus on "what today's job report actually shows: President Trump's policies are laying the groundwork for an economic resurgence as GDP and real wage growth continue to accelerate," and accusing the media of "grasping at straws to foment another fake controversy." Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the early disclosure was intended to distract from what she described as a disappointing economy.

The episode highlights a persistent tension in Washington between the customary practice of prebriefing senior officials, including presidents, and federal policies that limit public commentary on official statistics before they are posted. Offices of senior officials frequently receive advance briefings on employment figures as a matter of routine, but Office of Management and Budget policy and long-standing federal practice restrict executive-branch public statements on such releases until after publication; OMB guidance bars public statements until 30 minutes after a statistical release is posted.

Policy experts say the public disclosure before the scheduled release departs from established norms designed to ensure equal access and to prevent the premature release of information that could affect markets, stakeholder decisions, and public trust. The White House review will examine how the data reached a public social-media post and whether procedural safeguards failed. Officials have not provided a detailed account of the chain of custody for the chart or identified specific personnel involved.

The incident recalls earlier episodes in which presidential social-media posts raised questions about the timing and handling of sensitive information. For voters and institutions, the event underscores the importance of clear, enforced protocols governing pre-release briefings and public communications of official statistics. As the White House conducts its review, congressional oversight committees and watchdogs are likely to press for explanations about how the breach occurred and what steps will be taken to prevent future premature disclosures.