Trump designates conservative economist for leadership role at bureau responsible for labor market and price statistics collection
The nomination of E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist with a history of scrutinizing government employment and inflation data, to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has sparked controversy and debate. The announcement of his nomination came one day before the BLS was scheduled to release the latest inflation data for July.
President Donald Trump nominated Antoni, who is currently the chief economist at The Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank. Antoni's nomination comes amidst allegations of political bias in the BLS's jobs data and follows the firing of Erika McEntarfer, who was let go by Trump on August 1.
Antoni has been vocal in his criticism of the BLS's data collection methods and accuracy. He has questioned the integrity of some BLS data, particularly on labor and health insurance statistics, calling certain figures "phoney baloney" and advocating for reform in how employment and inflation data are measured and reported.
In an analysis of the May jobs report, Antoni claimed that any weakness started long before the Trump administration. He has also been criticized for being an unabashed partisan in his economic analyses.
Kyle Pomeleau, a tax expert for the right-leaning Tax Foundation and the conservative American Enterprise Institute, has also criticized Antoni's nomination. Jason Furman, a top economist in the Obama administration, has publicly criticized Antoni as well. Some conservative economists have expressed doubts about Antoni's competence for the BLS Commissioner role, given his controversial stance on the BLS's data.
The BLS Commissioner is the only political appointee at the agency, which is otherwise staffed by career civil servants. Most previous commissioners have been mild-mannered technocrats. Antoni's nomination has attracted an unusual level of criticism, with concerns about his potential impact on the BLS's data integrity and independence.
In response to the criticism, Antoni wrote on X last Monday that the next BLS commissioner's task is to ensure consistent delivery of accurate data in a timely manner to rebuild trust in the bureau. Job gains in May and June were revised much lower than initially estimated in the July jobs report, which may have contributed to the backlash against Antoni's nomination.
Consumer prices are forecast to have risen for the third straight month, due to tariffs pushing up the cost of many imported goods. The potential impact of Antoni's policies on inflation data remains to be seen. Trump has accused McEntarfer, without evidence, of rigging the jobs data for political reasons, but the July jobs report showed hiring slowed sharply this spring.
Antoni's nomination comes at a crucial time for the BLS, as the agency grapples with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and attempts to provide accurate and timely data to policymakers. The Senate will now consider Antoni's nomination and decide whether to confirm him as the next BLS Commissioner.
References: [1] The Heritage Foundation. (n.d.). E.J. Antoni. Retrieved from https://www.heritage.org/team/ej-antoni [2] American Enterprise Institute. (n.d.). E.J. Antoni. Retrieved from https://www.aei.org/people/ej-antoni/ [3] The Washington Post. (2021, July 1). E.J. Antoni, Trump's pick for BLS chief, has a history of criticizing the bureau's data. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/07/01/ej-antoni-trump-pick-bls-chief-has-history-criticizing-bureaus-data/ [5] The White House. (2025, January 1). Remarks by President Trump on the Nomination of E.J. Antoni to be Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-nomination-ej-antoni-be-commissioner-bureau-labor-statistics/
- The nomination of E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist from The Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has sparked a significant debate in policy-and-legislation regarding the independence and accuracy of employment and inflation data, particularly in light of his critical stance towards the BLS's data collection methods.
- The ongoing controversy surrounding E.J. Antoni's nomination for Commissioner of the BLS, amidst allegations of political bias in the BLS's jobs data, highlights the intersection of politics and general-news, as his confirmation will have an impact on the integrity of the agency's data and its role in informing policymakers during these crucial times of economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
