The Trump administration is interviewing candidates to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after President Donald Trump fired the agency's commissioner earlier this month, following a weaker-than-expected July jobs report.
One contender is E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation and a frequent critic of how the BLS collects and revises employment data, a senior administration official told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. Antoni has argued the agency needs "better ways to collect, process, and disseminate data" to restore public trust.
Trump has not yet named his pick, and interviews with multiple candidates are ongoing. A White House spokeswoman said the president "will announce the next BLS Commissioner when he has made a decision." Antoni declined to comment.
The interest in a high-profile critic signals Trump's push for a major overhaul at the statistical agency. Antoni has the backing of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who urged Trump to appoint him.
On Bannon's podcast, Antoni called for BLS chief Erika McEntarfer's removal after the July jobs report; hours later, Trump ordered her firing.
Supporters say Antoni would bring accountability to the BLS, while some economists warn replacing leadership with political allies could undermine confidence in U.S. economic statistics.
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