E.J. Antoni, Donald Trump’s nominee for BLS commissioner, has proposed suspending the monthly jobs report, advocating for the use of quarterly data instead. Antoni, previously the Heritage Foundation’s chief economist, cited concerns about the accuracy of the monthly figures, arguing that a lack of confidence in the data could have serious consequences for businesses and policymakers. This proposal follows Trump’s dismissal of the previous BLS commissioner and claims that the July jobs report was inaccurate due to revisions in employment figures. The July report was criticized for revisions that indicated significant downsizing in the market, potentially signaling an impending recession.
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Following the firing of the previous U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, President Trump nominated E.J. Antoni, the Heritage Foundation’s chief economist, to lead the agency. Critics, including conservative economists, have expressed concern over Antoni’s partisan affiliations and lack of experience in statistics collection. Experts suggest that, if confirmed, Antoni could manipulate jobs data to support Trump’s claims of a “booming” economy, potentially undermining the integrity and reliability of economic data. This move has been widely criticized as undemocratic and economically dangerous, with potential consequences for policymakers and the public.
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Following a disappointing jobs report, President Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni, an economist from the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 contributor, to replace the fired Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) chief, Erika McEntarfer. Trump’s decision to remove McEntarfer came after she released a report showing fewer jobs created than expected and downward revisions of previous months’ figures, a move condemned by economists. Antoni, a BLS data skeptic, has criticized the agency and is expected to focus on data accuracy and timeliness, though he has also indirectly contradicted Trump’s claims of a booming economy. The nomination is now awaiting confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate.
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John Q. Hosedrinker