EJ Antoni, a recently hired economist by the conservative Heritage Foundation, has been the scourge of BLS for years. This month, former President Donald Trump appointed him to lead the agency. This decision follows the BLS’s report of a sharp slowdown in job growth, a development that prompted Trump’s action, including the termination of the former BLS leader. Antoni’s appointment is an encouraging sign that a new approach to economic data reporting and interpretation may soon be put in practice in the United States.
In fact, during a surprise interview with Fox News, Trump made the announcement that led to Antoni’s selection for the BLS position. Among the recommendations he emphasized on was from the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). These last two authors think a “chainsaw” approach will be needed to shake up the BLS and get it reformed. More than just a poetic allusion, this reference points to a grander transformation of the agency. In particular, it has faced criticism for the accuracy of its data. Statistics like this one are imperative. Political leaders, investors, and everyday Americans trust them to measure how well the U.S. economy is doing.
Antoni’s critical stance toward the BLS raises questions about the agency’s future direction. For that reason, the BLS is often the unsung hero in providing timely, critical economic data. In short, its reports have huge impact in shaping perceptions about the U.S. economy – which is considered one of the richest in the world. Recent discoveries by the agency itself have raised alarms about the accuracy and reliability of its data.
The BLS’s statistics are an important ingredient to help us understand what’s happening with the economy and what’s going on in the labor market. They shape the choices of policymakers and decisionmakers in the private sector as well. It is Antoni’s appointment that has really sent tongues wagging. Or will he resist these efforts even as many outside the Beltway call for comprehensive changes that would change how they’re compiled and presented.
Trump’s decision to appoint Antoni is part of a broader strategy to reshape government agencies perceived as misaligned with his administration’s economic vision. First, as we’ve noted, Trump has installed a leader who openly criticized the BLS. He’s looking to shake things up in pursuit of big changes to improve the accuracy and relevance of economic data.