Most economists say that the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a nonpolitical agency staffed by people obsessed with getting the numbers right. The only political appointee is the commissioner, who doesn’t see the data until it’s finalized, two days before it is issued to the public.

Wall Street's main indexes swung to losses on Tuesday after data showed U.S. services activity unexpectedly stalled and investors considered the impact of U.S. trade policies on corporate profits.

The stock market inched up on Wednesday, as it looked to recover after closing in the red on Tuesday, driven by disappointing economic data. U.S. stocks closed in the red on Tuesday as data from the U.