President Donald Trump nominated economist E.J. Antoni, a vocal critic of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to become the new commissioner of the agency on Monday. Antoni’s appointment is part of Trump’s ongoing effort to appoint loyalists to non-partisan agencies.
The BLS collects and publishes crucial data on jobs and inflation used by businesses, investors, and governments. Antoni has criticized the BLS for its data collection methods, including failing to capture sufficient and prompt data in the post-pandemic era. He claims that massive annual revisions, including a revision that showed 589,000 fewer jobs were created in 2024 than initially reported, gave former President Joe Biden favorable headlines.
Antoni’s criticisms of the BLS go back years, with him calling a methodology change an “Orwellian trick” to mask higher inflation. He is also a frequent critic of the survey response rates, which have tumbled since Covid-19, from 60% in January 2020 to less than 43%.
The Heritage Foundation praised Trump’s selection, saying Antoni is one of the sharpest economic minds and a fearless truth-teller. However, many economists have expressed concerns about Antoni’s qualifications, citing his lack of expertise and extreme partisan views.
Trump fired former BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer last month, who was appointed by Biden in 2023, before nominating Antoni. The move has been met with backlash from some economists, who worry about the credibility and non-partisan nature of the bureau.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/12/business/bureau-of-labor-statistics-bls-trump-pick-ej-antoni