The appointment of the US president comes after the fire of the head of the government raised concerns about the integrity of US government statistics.
President Donald Trump is leading a major statistical agency after tapping Economist from a conservative think tank to fire his previous head about her role in the release of weak employment figures.
Trump said Monday that he nominated Ej Antoni, chief economist of the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
“Our economy is booming, and EJ ensures that the numbers released are honest and accurate. EJ Antoni knows he will do an incredible job in this new role. Congratulations EJ!” Trump wrote on his true social platform.
Trump’s Antoni nomination, which requires confirmation by the US Senate, comes after Erica Mantelfer fired earlier this month, and raised concerns that were reliable and had no political influence.
Trump justified Mantelfer’s firing by claiming without evidence that the latest employment report, which showed that employment growth in May and June had not been previously estimated, was “equipped” to make it look worse.
Antoni, who called for Mantelfer to the removal of her at the Heritage Foundation just before she was fired, has consistently received praise from Trump.
After Trump announced a trade deal with Japan last month, Antoni saw the agreement as “close” with Perfect and his Treasury Secretary, Scott Bescent.
Last week, Antoni said in a social media post that there are “better ways to collect, process and spread economic data,” while the next head of BLS said it would need to provide “accurate data in a timely manner” to rebuild trust in agents.
The Antoni and the Heritage Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Antoni’s nomination quickly drew criticism from economists who raised concerns about his qualifications and partisan tendencies.
Jason Furman, an economist at Harvard Kennedy School, served as an advisor to former US President Barack Obama, and was called “completely unqualified” with Antoni.
“He’s an extreme partisan and has no relevant expertise. He’ll be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats,” Furman said in a post on X.
Erica Groshen, who led the BLS under Obama, expressed similar concerns.
“What I’m worried so far is that the candidate and his work are not well known in the business, academic or public service community,” Groshen told Al Jazeera.
