"Doubts Raised Over Next U.S. Labor Statistics Chief Amid Fears of Undermining Data Credibility"

Concerns Mount Over the Politicization of Key Economic Indicators
Experts Warn of Risks to Data Credibility and Market Trust

U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni, a former chief economist at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, as the next commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), sparking controversy over his qualifications.

The Financial Times reported on August 12 (local time) that concerns are mounting in the markets about the "politicization of the world's most closely watched economic indicators."

Stan Veuger, a senior fellow at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute (AEI), commented, "I had hoped President Trump would nominate someone with credible experience and without strong partisanship to lead the BLS, but Antoni is the opposite." He added, "Even those who share some of his economic views do not see him as qualified."

Philippa Dunne of TLR Analytics also warned, "The world may stop trusting our data," and added, "If they don't trust us, they may stop lending us money." Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, predicted, "If the reliability of BLS data comes into question, demand for private data will surge, potentially growing into an industry of its own."

However, some experts cautioned against overinterpreting the situation, arguing that it is difficult for the BLS commissioner to arbitrarily distort data. Steve Hanke, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, said, "Data collection and reporting are governed by established procedures and bureaucracy. Who leads the agency hardly matters. Overt manipulation is an absurd notion."

Previously, on the day the employment report was released in July, President Trump claimed that the BLS, under the Department of Labor, had "manipulated" the report after it showed the labor market was weaker than expected. He also dismissed former BLS commissioner Erica Groshen just hours after the release of the statistics.

On August 11, Trump nominated Antoni as the next commissioner. Antoni is an economist affiliated with the conservative Heritage Foundation, which designed "Project 2025," the blueprint for Trump's second-term administration. However, his formal appointment requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Antoni has previously called BLS employment reports "BS" and argued for their abolition. He also accused the BLS of "consistently and excessively inflating" job growth during the Biden administration. Additionally, he has called for the dismissal of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who has clashed with President Trump, blaming him for creating the worst inflation in 40 years.

The BLS commissioner oversees the monthly employment report and the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which are produced by about 2,000 employees. These indicators serve as key data for assessing the health of the U.S. economy.