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President Donald Trump has nominated Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a decision drawing attention after Antoni publicly questioned the reliability of the agency’s long-standing monthly jobs reports.

Questioning the Monthly Jobs Data

In a Fox News Digital interview from early August, Antoni expressed skepticism about the accuracy of the monthly jobs figures, which are critical economic indicators closely watched by Wall Street investors, policymakers, and economists to assess the U.S. labor market’s health.

Antoni highlighted challenges businesses and the Federal Reserve face when making decisions without clear and reliable monthly employment data. “How on earth are businesses supposed to plan — or how is the Fed supposed to conduct monetary policy — when they don’t know how many jobs are being added or lost in our economy?” he said.

He suggested that the BLS should pause its monthly job report releases until data collection and methodology issues are resolved, while continuing to publish the quarterly reports, which he considers more accurate but less timely.

Context of the Nomination and Recent Controversy

Antoni’s nomination comes shortly after President Trump dismissed then-BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1, hours after the agency reported July job growth that fell short of expectations. Alongside this, the BLS revised down job creation numbers for the previous two months—a routine practice but one Trump seized upon, alleging the agency “rigged” the data for political reasons.

This move drew strong criticism from economists and former BLS officials, who defended the agency’s rigorous methodology and dismissed claims of manipulation.

White House Response and Future Expectations

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Antoni’s nomination, acknowledging his proposal to temporarily suspend monthly job reports “until they can get the data and the methodology in order.” She emphasized that President Trump “wants to ensure that the BLS again is putting out accurate and honest data” and “trusts him to lead this important department.”

The Importance of Reliable Employment Data

Monthly jobs reports from the BLS are pivotal for economic policy, affecting everything from interest rate decisions to investor confidence. Any change in their frequency or accuracy could have significant ripple effects across financial markets and economic planning. Antoni’s proposal to rely more on quarterly data reflects growing debates about how best to balance timeliness and precision in economic measurement.

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