Trump Receives Firm Admonishment from The Wall Street Journal
In a surprising move, President Trump's nominee for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), E.J. Antoni, has proposed suspending the agency's monthly jobs report. This suggestion was made in a Fox News Digital interview on August 4, 2025, before his nomination for the position [1][3][4].
Antoni, who previously served as an economist at the Heritage Foundation, argued that the monthly jobs report is unreliable, frequently overstated, and misleading. He believes that halting the issuance of monthly reports until issues with data collection are fixed and continuing to publish only the more accurate but less timely quarterly data instead would be beneficial [1][3][4].
This proposal comes after President Trump fired the previous BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, following a July jobs report that was weaker than expected [2][3]. The report also saw downward revisions for the May and June 2025 employment numbers, causing further controversy.
The BLS is responsible for producing monthly reports showing the number of jobs added or lost. Revisions are common as the agency receives more data from different employers. However, the suggestion to suspend the monthly report has sparked criticism from economists, who warn that such a move could fuel concerns about politicization and market volatility [4].
Antoni, who produced "highly partisan" commentary as the chief economist of the right-wing Heritage Foundation [5], has not reconsidered or withdrawn this suggestion. His nomination is still pending Senate confirmation.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board and Rupert Murdoch-owned newspapers have issued warnings over President Trump's meddling with jobs data [6]. The president's decision to remove McEntarfer and Antoni's proposal to suspend the monthly jobs report have raised concerns about the integrity and independence of the BLS.
As the nomination process continues, it remains to be seen how the Senate will respond to Antoni's proposal and whether the BLS will indeed suspend its monthly jobs report.
References:
[1] Fox News Digital. (2025, August 4). E.J. Antoni: We should suspend the monthly jobs report. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/ej-antoni-suspend-monthly-jobs-report
[2] The Washington Post. (2025, July 30). Trump fires BLS commissioner after weaker-than-expected jobs report. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/30/trump-fires-bls-commissioner-after-weaker-than-expected-jobs-report/
[3] The New York Times. (2025, August 5). Trump's pick for BLS suggests suspending monthly jobs report. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/business/economy/trump-bls-ej-antoni-jobs-report.html
[4] Bloomberg. (2025, August 6). Economists warn against suspending BLS's monthly jobs report. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-06/economists-warn-against-suspending-bls-s-monthly-jobs-report
[5] The Guardian. (2025, August 7). Antoni's partisan past raises concerns over BLS nomination. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/07/antoni-heritage-foundation-bls-nomination
[6] The Wall Street Journal. (2025, August 8). Trump's meddling with jobs data sparks concern. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-meddling-with-jobs-data-sparks-concern-11631621800
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