Trump names Heritage’s EJ Antoni to lead US bureau of labor statistics

Trump’s firing of McEntarfer shocked economists across the political spectrum, who immediately came to her defense and BLS as an institution. The agency’s work, in addition to that of other US statistical offices, has a “gold standard” reputation globally for being free of political influence — a status which many now fear is at risk.

BLS routinely revises its data in an effort to make it more accurate in the long run. But the latest revisions, which trimmed 258,000 jobs from May and June, were particularly eye-catching — marking the largest downward adjustment since the pandemic.

Steve Bannon, a senior adviser to Trump in his first term and an influential voice in conservative circles, had pushed Antoni for the role, calling him “the perfect guy at the perfect time to run the BLS.”

Antoni came on Bannon’s podcast shortly after the latest jobs report was released, where he was asked if there was a “MAGA Republican” in charge of BLS. Antoni responded, “No, unfortunately.”

Antoni added that the absence of a Trump pick running the agency is “part of the reason why we continue to have all of these different data problems.” He contributed to the Project 2025 policy rubric, which, in part, called for maximizing hiring of political appointees at the Labor Department, which oversees BLS.

Initial Reaction

“So far, what worries me is that the nominee and his work are not well known in the business, academic or public service communities,” said Erica Groshen, who served as BLS commissioner during the Obama administration and co-chairs an advocacy group for the agency.

A candidate needs to be able to effectively interact with both Congress and senior Labor Department staff as well as show a record of understanding that trust and data integrity are “mission-critical” for BLS, among other qualifications, to garner bipartisan support, she said.

William Beach, who Trump appointed to the role in his first term and co-chairs the Friends of BLS group with Groshen, agreed the candidate would need those characteristics, as well as others like deep expertise in economic statistics, extensive engagement with the federal statistical agencies and visibility in the statistical community. Beach said Antoni possesses “many” of those, adding he doesn’t know if anyone has them all.

Antoni, who has a Ph.D. in economics, is a senior fellow at Unleash Prosperity, a group that counts Steve Forbes, Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore among its leaders and is one of the entities regularly bringing policy ideas to Trump.

“EJ will be outstanding,” Moore, also an economist at the Heritage Foundation, said in a text to Bloomberg News. “Great economist and statistician.”

Jason Furman, who chaired Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, disapproved of Trump’s pick.

Antoni is “completely unqualified” to lead BLS, Furman said in a post on X. “He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise.”

McEntarfer Firing

Commissioners serve four-year terms, often spanning both Republican and Democratic administrations. Beach, who preceded McEntarfer, criticized her firing. He said it is “damaging” and “undermines credibility in BLS.”

William Wiatrowski, who was McEntarfer’s deputy, has served as acting commissioner in the interim. Those appointed to the commissioner role typically have years of experience as economists or statisticians within the agency, government or related institutions. Effective January 2025, the pay for the role of BLS commissioner was $195,200.

The latest employment report showed job growth averaged just 35,000 in the past three months, fundamentally shifting perceptions of the labor market from solid to near-stalling. The new data also called into question the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates steady at their meeting just a few days prior, following repeated pressure from Trump to lower borrowing costs.

Trump said the numbers were “RIGGED” to make him and Republicans look bad. BLS said the revisions were largely a result of seasonal adjustment and incorporating more data.

‘Top to Bottom’ Review

Antoni has called for a “top to bottom” review of all the agency’s data collection, data processing, analytics and dissemination. He also said the BLS should post even more information on its website to increase transparency.

McEntarfer was confirmed as commissioner in early 2024 with bipartisan support. She arrived at the agency with over 20 years of experience in the federal government, including roles at the Census Bureau and Treasury Department. She previously served as a senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers under Biden.

BLS is responsible for publishing some of the foremost statistics on US employment and inflation, which are used to inform an array of business and policy decisions from setting wages to adjusting Social Security benefits. It’s housed within the Labor Department but largely functions as an independent institution.

Trump’s 2026 budget proposal suggested moving BLS under the Commerce Department, where other economic statistical agencies like the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis reside. The proposal would also reduce BLS’s budget and staffing, adding to funding challenges that predate Trump but have grown more acute in his second term.