Trump's labour chief pick suggests suspension of monthly jobs report

EJ Antoni criticised the monthly employment report as 'flawed' and proposed replacing it with more accurate, though less timely, quarterly data for US economic planning

US President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), EJ Antoni, has called for suspending the agency’s monthly employment report, a critical gauge of the US economy used by the Federal Reserve, businesses, and investors.

 

According to a CBS News report, Antoni criticised the monthly report as “flawed” and suggested it should be replaced with “more accurate, though less timely, quarterly data".

 

“How on earth are businesses supposed to plan — or how is the Fed supposed to conduct monetary policy — when they don't know how many jobs are being added or lost in our economy? It's a serious problem that needs to be fixed immediately,” Antoni told Fox News Digital.

 

 

Trump’s dissatisfaction with BLS data revisions

 

Antoni’s nomination came ten days after Trump dismissed the previous BLS chief, accusing her — without evidence — of manipulating employment figures. The president objected to revisions made to the prior month’s jobs data, even though such revisions are a routine part of the agency’s methodology as more complete data becomes available. 

 

Antoni, a fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, will need Senate confirmation before taking over the agency, which employed about 2,300 people as of September 2024.

 

Role of the BLS in global markets

 

The BLS releases monthly data on the US labour market and inflation that is closely watched by economists, policymakers, and global markets. The figures often trigger immediate movements in stocks, bonds, and currency markets worldwide, Reuters reported. 

 

White House response

 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the expectation was that the BLS would continue publishing its monthly reports. “I believe that is the plan and that's the hope, and that these monthly reports will be data that the American people can trust,” she said.

 

Leavitt added, “We need to restore new leadership that we trust at the BLS. We need to look at the means and the methods of how the United States is acquiring this very important data. The goal, of course, is to provide honest and good data for the American people to make very important economic decisions on.”