Government critic, appointed by Trump, assumes leadership role in statistics department of administration
The nomination of E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist from the Heritage Foundation, as the new head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has sparked concerns about the politicization of economic statistics in the United States.
The nomination comes after the sudden dismissal of Erika McEntarfer, the previous commissioner, following the release of a weak jobs report by the BLS. President Trump, who described the labor market numbers as potentially manipulated, did not provide any evidence for his claims.
Antoni, a long-time critic of the BLS's methods, has been nominated to ensure that the numbers published by the BLS are honest and accurate. However, critics argue that this series of events risks undermining the BLS's independence and public trust in its data.
A significant concern is the declining survey response rate for the BLS's labor market report, which has decreased from 80.3% in October 2020 to around 67.1% currently. Antoni has highlighted large downward revisions of past employment numbers as evidence of flawed data, although he denies any intentional manipulation.
The Reuters survey found that 89 out of 100 leading political experts have at least some concerns about the quality of US economic data. The survey, conducted in July, also revealed that there are concerns about the quality of US economic data among leading political experts.
The reduction in the scope of data collection for calculating inflation at the BLS is a result of staff reductions. The BLS surveys around 121,000 companies and agencies for its labor market report, but the reduction in staff has led to a reduction in the scope of data collection.
The politicization of economic statistics, as seen in Trump's actions, is a concern for economists, as it could potentially influence the collection and publication of data. Michael Madowitz, chief economist of the Roosevelt Institute, warned that the politicization of economic statistics is a self-destructive act and that credibility is difficult to regain.
The credibility of American economic data is crucial, as it forms the foundation for the strongest economy in the world. The dismissal and subsequent nomination have intensified fears about political interference, and the Senate needs to confirm Antoni's nomination.
Many stakeholders see Antoni's nomination as potentially politicizing economic statistics and threatening the traditional independence of the BLS. This has stirred debate about how best to maintain both methodological rigor and public confidence in a critical federal statistical agency.
[1] Trump fired BLS chief after weak jobs report, nominates critic [2] Trump nominates critic of BLS to head agency [3] Trump's BLS nominee faces pushback from both sides [4] Trump nominates BLS critic E.J. Antoni to lead agency
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