Trump Designates E.J. Antoni as New Head of Bureau of Labor Statistics Following Discharge of Previous Commissioner Amid Struggling Jobs Report
The nomination of E.J. Antoni, a chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to serve as the next commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has sparked controversy. President Donald Trump announced Antoni as his nominee in August 2025, following the abrupt firing of the previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer.
Antoni's background centers on his economic work at a conservative think tank and his involvement in the conservative policy blueprint Project 2025. Regarding qualifications, Antoni has professional experience as a chief economist at the Heritage Foundation but has not held prior official government statistical agency leadership roles. His expertise is primarily in economic analysis with a conservative policy perspective.
The controversy surrounding Antoni's nomination is significant. Trump fired the previous BLS commissioner shortly after the July 2025 jobs report was released, which showed weaker-than-expected job growth and large downward revisions to May and June employment numbers. Trump accused the BLS of providing "faked" or "rigged" statistics without evidence. Antoni shares concerns about the accuracy of the monthly jobs data but attributes the issues to methodological flaws rather than intentional manipulation. Specifically, he criticizes a declining survey response rate (below 50%) and outdated statistical models that have failed to adapt post-COVID, leading to large and persistent downward revisions in jobs numbers.
Antoni has even suggested suspending the monthly jobs reports temporarily until the BLS updates its statistical methodologies to ensure "honest and accurate" data. This position further fuels the controversy by challenging the independence and reliability of the BLS, an agency that provides critical economic indicators relied upon by policymakers and markets.
The BLS revised 258,000 fewer jobs created in May and June, and the latest jobs report showed employers in July adding a weaker-than-expected 73,000 jobs. However, the jobs report for October 2024 was later revised upward to 36,000 jobs. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer acknowledged that "there are always revisions" in the jobs reports.
A group of former BLS leaders warned that the firing of the commissioner "undermines the valuable work and dedication of BLS staff" and "escalates the President's unprecedented attacks on the independence and integrity of the federal statistical system." They called on Congress to investigate the firing.
E.J. Antoni will need to be confirmed by the Senate, and his nomination raises concerns about politicizing the agency and data integrity. Antoni has been a longtime critic of the BLS and has called the health insurance figures of the Bureau "phoney baloney."
References:
[1] Picchi, A. (2025, August). Trump Nominates Conservative Economist to Lead U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. CBS News. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-nominates-conservative-economist-to-lead-u-s-bureau-of-labor-statistics/
[2] BLS Commissioner Fired After Disputes Over Job Data. (2025, July). The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/business/economy/bls-commissioner-fired.html
[3] Antoni Calls for Pause in Monthly Jobs Reports. (2025, August). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/antoni-calls-for-pause-in-monthly-jobs-reports-11630605150
- The nomination of E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist, to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has sparked concerns about policy and legislation, especially regarding the independence and reliability of the agency's data.
- Antoni, who has been critical of health insurance figures from the BLS, has suggested temporarily suspending the monthly jobs reports until the BLS updates its methodologies to ensure "honest and accurate" data.
- News about the controversy surrounding Antoni's nomination has been filled with discussions about politics, as some believe it could lead to the politicization of the agency.
- The cable news channels and general news outlets are reporting on war-and-conflicts and crime, but in the background, a significant political drama is unfolding over the nomination of a new commissioner at the BLS.
- Antoni's nomination has raised questions about the role of casino-games and casino-and-gambling in the political landscape, given his past involvement with the conservative policy blueprint Project 2025.
- The health sector is monitoring the situation carefully, given the implications it might have on the accuracy of key economic indicators, such as employment numbers, which can impact the broader economy.
