Trump nominates E.J. Antoni as new labor statistics chief after firing Erika McEntarfer over jobs report
This nomination comes after Trump fired the previous BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, just hours after a weak jobs report was released on August 1. Trump claimed without proof that the July jobs report was 'RIGGED' to make Republicans, and himself, look bad, as NBC News reported.
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Who is E.J. Antoni and why is he nominated?
E.J. Antoni did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on Monday. Steve Bannon, a top Trump adviser, strongly supported Antoni's nomination. Antoni is a contributor to Project 2025 and has been a long-time critic of BLS data.
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On Bannon's podcast last week, Antoni called for firing McEntarfer shortly before Trump did it. At the Heritage Foundation, Antoni has written reports praising the Trump administration. One report called the June jobs report, before it was changed, a 'home run' for Trump, as mentioned by an NBC News report.
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Several former BLS commissioners said that the head of the agency does not create the jobs report but is only briefed on the numbers shortly before they are public. The July jobs report showed the U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs, which was weaker than expected.
Why is the BLS data important and what are the concerns?
The BLS also revised May and June's numbers downward by over 200,000 jobs combined. The BLS often revises data like jobs, GDP, and inflation because of the size of the U.S. economy and delays in collecting data. This does not mean any cheating or manipulation, as stated by NBC News.
The data from BLS is very important for businesses, policymakers, and governments to understand the real state of the U.S. economy. JPMorgan's chief U.S. economist said that trust is the foundation of the BLS data's accuracy.
Economists warned that firing McEntarfer could harm global markets, financial stability, and the U.S. economy because many depend on BLS's trustworthy data. BLS and other U.S. statistics agencies have been trusted worldwide because they usually work without political interference, as per the NBC News.
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Jason Furman, former Obama economic adviser, said Antoni is "completely unqualified" for the BLS job and is an extreme partisan with no relevant experience. Furman added that Antoni would break the tradition of nonpartisan, expert leaders at the agency.
Past BLS commissioners usually served across different administrations, like William Beach (nominated by Trump in 2019) and Keith Hall (nominated by George W. Bush and served into Obama's term).
Erika McEntarfer was nominated by President Joe Biden in July 2023 and confirmed by the Senate in January 2024 with a large majority (86-8). Vice President JD Vance, then a senator, voted in favor of McEntarfer, according to the report by NBC News.
FAQs
Q1. Who is E.J. Antoni, Trump's nominee for the Bureau of Labor Statistics?
E.J. Antoni is the chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation and a longtime critic of BLS data.
Q2. Why did Trump fire the previous BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer?
Trump fired McEntarfer after a weak July jobs report, claiming without proof that the data was rigged against Republicans.
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