President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he has nominated EJ Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – the agency responsible for compiling and publishing key data on US jobs and inflation.
“Our Economy is booming, and EJ will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
If confirmed by the Senate, Antoni would replace Erika McEntarfer, who was appointed by President Joe Biden and was fired by Trump on August 1, following revised job reports that showed slower hiring than initially estimated.
Controversy Surrounding the Nomination
Trump had accused McEntarfer, without presenting evidence, of manipulating jobs data for political reasons. The move came just a day before the BLS was due to release July inflation figures that were expected to show consumer prices rising for the third consecutive month due to tariffs increasing the cost of imports, according to a report published by The Associated Press.
Antoni, the report said, has long criticised the bureau’s job data collection and revisions, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Conservatives argue these revisions initially inflated job gains benefitting Biden, only to later be scaled down. However, downward revisions are common and happened even during Trump’s tenure. Despite these revisions, hiring surged after the pandemic and unemployment remained low overall.
Following the release of the jobs report, Antoni had called for McEntarffer’s firing, writing in an X post at the time, “There are better ways to collect, process, and disseminate data – that is the task for the next BLS commissioner, and only consistent delivery of accurate data in a timely manner will rebuild the trust that has been lost over the last several years.”
Partisan Economist Sparks Pushback
Unlike most previous commissioners, who were nonpartisan technocrats, Antoni is an outspoken partisan. His economic analyses on the Heritage Foundation’s website often praise Trump administration’s policies. For instance, after the May jobs report, Antoni wrote, “A deep dive into the report shows any weakness started long before the Trump administration, which is making undeniable progress reprivatizing the economy.”
His nomination drew sharp criticism. Former Obama administration economist Jason Furman said on X, “I don’t think I have ever publicly criticised any Presidential nominee before. But EJ Antoni is completely unqualified to be BLS Commissioner. He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise.”
Even conservative tax expert Kyle Pomeleau wrote in a social media post, “There are a lot of competent conservative economists that could do this job. EJ is not one of them.”
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