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Economy|Seeking Friendlier Data, Trump Names New Commissioner for Statistics Bureau
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/business/economy/trump-bls-commissioner.html
The president fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief after a downbeat jobs report. The move has jeopardized the credibility of economic data.
Aug. 11, 2025, 7:07 p.m. ET
President Trump announced on Monday that he would nominate an economist, E.J. Antoni, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, having dismissed the previous commissioner following the release of data that showed sluggish job creation over the past several months.
Mr. Antoni, who currently serves as chief economist at the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, would need to be confirmed by the Senate in order to assume the post.
The previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, is a Ph.D economist who served for decades at the Census Bureau before the Senate confirmed her nomination on a bipartisan basis in early 2024 by a vote of 86-8. Mr. Trump fired Ms. McEntarfer earlier this month, after the agency released new figures showing that job growth had been far weaker than previously reported. The agency revised down the number of jobs created in June and May by 258,000, an unusually large revision that provoked Mr. Trump. Without evidence, the president claimed that Ms. McEntarfer had “rigged” the federal hiring data to harm the president politically.
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“Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE,” Mr. Trump said on Truth Social.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Tony Romm is a reporter covering economic policy and the Trump administration for The Times, based in Washington.
Ben Casselman is the chief economics correspondent for The Times. He has reported on the economy for nearly 20 years.
Lydia DePillis reports on the American economy. She has been a journalist since 2009, and can be reached at [email protected].
