AsianFin -- U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly dismissed a senior Labor Department official on Friday following a surprising report showing softer-than-expected U.S. job market figures.

Trump accused the official—without presenting evidence—of manipulating the data, intensifying ongoing concerns over the reliability of federal economic statistics.

In a separate and unexpected development, Fed Governor Adriana Kugler announced her resignation the same day, creating an earlier-than-anticipated vacancy on the Federal Reserve Board. This move potentially accelerates Trump’s ability to shape the Fed, with which he has frequently clashed over its reluctance to cut interest rates.