This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93ddrp17zko
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| EJ Antoni: Trump picks new head for Bureau of Labor Statistics | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| EJ Antoni is chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation | EJ Antoni is chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation |
| US President Donald Trump has picked an economist at a conservative think tank to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), after firing its previous commissioner this month following weaker-than-expected jobs data. | US President Donald Trump has picked an economist at a conservative think tank to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), after firing its previous commissioner this month following weaker-than-expected jobs data. |
| The president said he was nominating EJ Antoni, a federal budget analyst with the Heritage Foundation, to be commissioner of one of America's most important economic institutions. | |
| "Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE," he posted on Truth Social. | "Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE," he posted on Truth Social. |
| Earlier in August Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, accusing her of having "rigged" jobs figures to make him look bad – a claim rejected by several other economists. | |
| She was fired after BLS figures this month showing that employers in the US added just 73,000 jobs in July, far below forecasts of 109,000 new roles, stoked alarm about Trump's tariff policy. | |
| The agency also revised down employment growth in May and June, reporting 250,000 fewer jobs than previously thought. It was the largest downward revision in employment figures - apart from the Covid-era - since 1979. | |
| Although the revisions were bigger than usual, it is normal for the initial monthly number to be changed as more data comes to light. | |
| McEntarfer worked for the government for more than 20 years before being nominated by Biden to lead the BLS in 2023. |