Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump on Monday announced the nomination of E.J. Antoni, chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, to serve as the next commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, following the firing of former commissioner Erika McEntarfer.
Trump revealed the nomination in a post on Truth Social, praising Antoni’s qualifications and signaling a renewed focus on data accuracy at the federal agency.
“I am pleased to announce that I am nominating Highly Respected Economist, Dr. E.J. Antoni, as the next Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” Trump wrote. “Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE. I know E.J. Antoni will do an incredible job in this new role. Congratulations E.J.!”
Antoni, who must be confirmed by the Senate, has been a vocal critic of the Bureau’s data methods, arguing that the current process for measuring job growth is unreliable.
“There are better ways to collect, process, and disseminate data—that is the task for the next BLS commissioner, and only consistent delivery of accurate data in a timely manner will rebuild the trust that has been lost over the last several years,” Antoni said in a social media post last week.
Trump dismissed McEntarfer on Aug. 1, shortly after the Bureau published a report revising job growth figures downward for May and June by a combined 258,000 jobs.
“Revisions for May and June were larger than normal,” the agency stated in the report. “The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for May was revised down by 125,000, from +144,000 to +19,000, and the change for June was revised down by 133,000, from +147,000 to +14,000.”
Trump criticized McEntarfer following the release, accusing her of politically motivated manipulation of job numbers.
“This is the same Bureau of Labor Statistics that overstated the Jobs Growth in March 2024 by approximately 818,000 and, then again, right before the 2024 Presidential Election, in August and September, by 112,000,” Trump wrote.
“We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified,” he added. “Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.”