Trump Leaks Friday's Jobs Data Ahead of Schedule

• Trump's post revealed private sector payrolls expanded by 654,000 for full-year 2025, indirectly disclosing December's data before the official 8:30 AM release
• The official December jobs report showed nonfarm payrolls increased 50,000, with 48,000 from private sector, slightly below estimates but easing concerns about steeper employment declines
• OMB policy explicitly prohibits executive branch officials from commenting on statistical releases early, with a mandatory 30-minute waiting period after official publication

SUMMARY: Trump Prematurely Discloses Employment Data

President Donald Trump violated long-standing federal policy by revealing employment data ahead of its official Friday release through a Thursday evening social media post around 9 p.m. Trump disclosed that private sector payrolls expanded by 654,000 for the full year 2025, a figure that included December's unreleased jobs count.

Policy Violation:

The Office of Management and Budget explicitly prohibits executive branch officials from commenting on market-moving statistical releases before publication, requiring a 30-minute waiting period after official release. While presidents receive advance briefings on employment figures, public disclosure is forbidden.

Official Data Released:

Friday's official Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed December nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000, with 48,000 from the private sector. The figures came in slightly below economists' estimates but eased concerns about steeper employment declines.

Market Implications:

Though Trump's post lacked revision data preventing exact calculations, traders could estimate the December figure and likely ruled out a job loss scenario that would have unsettled markets. Stock futures trended higher following Friday's official release, suggesting the data was received positively.

Trump's disclosure also highlighted government employment declined 181,000 in 2025, drawing a political distinction between private and public sector job growth.

Precedent:

This marks at least the second time Trump has prematurely referenced jobs data, having similarly disclosed positive employment figures during his first presidential term, which also drew criticism for breaching established protocols designed to maintain market integrity and prevent unfair trading advantages.

The White House had not commented at the time of publication.