President Donald Trump today nominated E J Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, as the next Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) commissioner after sacking his predecessor on 1 August following the release of a monthly employment report Trump alleged was "manipulated."
"E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE," Trump said on social media late Monday.
Antoni holds a master's and a doctoral degree in economics and is a contributor to Heritage's "Project 2025" blueprint for remaking the federal government in a more conservative mold. He has argued that tariffs do not necessarily cause inflation and has been critical of the Federal Reserve and its monetary policy.
Trump announced on 1 August he would replace then-commissioner of labor statistics Erika McEntarfer after the BLS reported weak hiring last month and revisions showing a quarter-million fewer hirings in the previous two months. Taken together, hiring in the three months was the weakest for such a period since 2020.
Revisions to the employment report are routine, but the BLS said the revisions for May and June were "larger than normal."
"Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can't be manipulated for political purposes," Trump said on 1 August, without providing evidence the data was manipulated.
Economists such as Michael Feroli of JP Morgan Chase and Michael Gapen of Morgan Stanley argued that trust in the BLS, which publishes inflation and employment data, is key to maintaining the trust of investors, especially in the vital Treasury note market that finances the expanding federal debt.
Antoni must be confirmed by the Senate.
