Trump chooses Antoni from Heritage Foundation to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) faces mounting criticisms and concerns about the accuracy and methodology of its economic data, as well as allegations of political interference, under the leadership of newly appointed Commissioner E.J. Antoni.
Antoni, a doctoral economist with a background in labor economics and banking, was nominated by President Trump to replace Erika McEntarfer, who was fired from the role in August. McEntarfer, appointed by former President Joe Biden, faced controversy following a disappointing July 2025 jobs report that showed fewer jobs gained than initially expected and large downward revisions for prior months' data. Trump labeled the report as “rigged” without evidence, further politicizing the agency and fueling distrust.
Antoni has argued that the BLS’s monthly jobs report is fundamentally flawed due to outdated methodologies, statistical assumptions no longer valid in the post-COVID economy, and frequent large revisions that mislead policymakers and markets. He has suggested suspending the monthly jobs reports until the data can be corrected and relying instead on the more accurate but less timely quarterly data.
Additional issues include a significant 20% staff reduction at the BLS since January 2025, including a third of its leaders. This staffing crisis has reportedly hampered the agency's ability to maintain and improve data products or modernize its statistical methods. Erica Groshen, former BLS commissioner, expressed worry about potential missed deadlines and undetected biases or errors in reports due to the reduction in staff.
Political controversy has intensified with the abrupt firing of the previous BLS Commissioner, Dr. Erika McEntarfer. Starting this month, BLS is ending the calculation and publication of about 350 components of the Producer Price Index (PPI), a key measure of inflation at the wholesale level. The BLS, like other government agencies, has faced a hiring freeze imposed by Trump and is expected to see a wave of departures at the end of the summer.
The BLS, with a staff of 2,300, produces data that is consumed by a global audience of economists, investors, business leaders, public policymakers, and consumers. The release of BLS's monthly figures about the state of the U.S. job market and inflation can have a visible and real-time effect on stock, bond, and currency markets around the world. The nonfarm payrolls report offers scores of figures about the U.S. job market, including job creation, unemployment rate, labor force participation, and hourly wages. The headline estimates for job creation in the nonfarm payrolls report are revised twice after their initial release.
The BLS's monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) historically provides a comprehensive picture of U.S. inflation, including changes in cost for various goods and services. However, this year, a staffing shortage at BLS has forced the reduction of the CPI index collection sample and an increase in the percentage of imputed prices to 35%.
Keith Hall, former BLS commissioner, stated that the agency has seen little to no budget growth for a decade, while the costs for data collection have risen. Antoni, currently the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, a U.S. conservative think tank, has taught courses on labor economics, money and banking.
These factors together suggest that the BLS’s data quality is currently under strain due to both technical and institutional challenges, and Antoni’s nomination has become a flashpoint for debate about the agency’s future integrity and reliability.
- The business community, investors, and policymakers heavily rely on the accurate data produced by the BLS, which faces challenges in maintaining its data products and modernizing its statistical methods due to a 20% staff reduction and a hiring freeze imposed by President Trump.
- As the newly appointed Commissioner of the BLS, Antoni argues that the monthly jobs report's methodology is flawed and suggests replacing it with more accurate but less timely quarterly data, citing concerns about political interference, outdated methodologies, and frequent large revisions.
- The controversy surrounding the BLS extended to the realm of general news and crime-and-justice, as Antoni's nomination has sparked debate about the agency's future integrity and reliability, following the abrupt firing of the previous commissioner and allegations of political meddling.
