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| EJ Antoni: Trump picks new head for Bureau of Labor Statistics | 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. | 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, claiming she "rigged" jobs figures to make him look bad – an accusation rejected by several other economists. | |
| The US Senate, which is controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, needs to confirm the appointment. | |
| Antoni has previously criticised the BLS, questioning its methodology and calling its statistics "phoney baloney". | |
| Last November, he said in a post on X that the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) "needs to take a chainsaw to the BLS". | |
| The bureau is currently led by Acting Commissioner Commissioner William Watrowski, who has worked there for decades. | |
| McEntarfer 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. | 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. | Although the revisions were bigger than usual, it is normal for the initial monthly number to be changed as more data comes to light. |
| The unprecedented move sparked accusations that Trump was politicising economic data. | |
| McEntarfer worked for the government for more than 20 years before being nominated by Biden to lead the BLS in 2023. | McEntarfer worked for the government for more than 20 years before being nominated by Biden to lead the BLS in 2023. |