Trump's choice for the head of the BLS is E.J. Antoni.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an independent agency under the Department of Labor, is preparing for a potential shift in leadership. President Donald Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni, a well-known figure in conservative economic circles, for the top economic post at the BLS.
Antoni, currently the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank with close ties to the Trump administration, has built his economic philosophy around free-market principles and reducing government expenditure. He advocates for economic reforms to counter inflation and has called for improving the accuracy and timeliness of economic data collection, criticizing existing BLS methodologies and revisions.
However, Antoni's nomination has not been met with universal approval. Prominent economists like Justin Wolfers from the University of Michigan and Jason Furman, a former economic advisor to President Barack Obama, have sharply criticized Antoni's nomination. They argue that Antoni lacks relevant expertise in labor statistics, is an extreme partisan, and has demonstrated little commitment to objective truth, raising concerns about politicization and undermining trust in the BLS.
On the other hand, supporters from conservative circles, such as Stephen Moore of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, praise Antoni as a candidate capable of reforming the BLS and delivering more "accurate" economic data, reflecting their skepticism about the current agency’s data handling.
Antoni's nomination marks a departure from previous BLS commissioners, who tended to be nonpartisan technocrats. This has led to debate about the independence and reliability of the agency under his potential leadership.
One of Antoni's most notable criticisms of the BLS has been his call to switch from monthly to quarterly jobs reports. This proposal has raised eyebrows among economists and policymakers, as the BLS reports are relied upon by Congress, federal and state agencies, and businesses to make critical decisions affecting the economy.
The nomination comes at a time when the BLS is grappling with lower response rates to surveys since the onset of the pandemic, and when both gross domestic product and hiring have slowed this year. The potential impact of Antoni's leadership on the agency's data and, by extension, on the economy, remains to be seen.
Erika McEntarfer, the previous BLS commissioner, was fired by Trump less than two weeks before Antoni's nomination. McEntarfer, who served in the federal government for two decades prior to her firing, did not respond to a request for comment from your website. William Beach, a former BLS Commissioner appointed by Trump, condemned McEntarfer's firing.
The confirmation of Antoni's nomination is pending in the Senate. If confirmed, Antoni will take over the BLS at a critical juncture for the agency and the economy.
[1] https://www.heritage.org/economy/commentary/heritage-foundation-economist-e-j-antoni-nominated-bureau-labor-statistics [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/13/trump-administration-plans-nominate-heritage-foundation-economist-bureau-labor-statistics/ [3] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/13/trump-to-nominate-heritage-foundation-economist-e-j-antoni-to-lead-bureau-of-labor-statistics.html [4] https://www.axios.com/trump-administration-nominates-heritage-foundation-economist-bureau-of-labor-statistics-antoni-6cf4e6d7-9c0d-49e4-b71d-8613db5a5e70.html [5] https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/13/trump-bureau-of-labor-statistics-nominee-antoni-392920
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