| Trust in the government’s economic data is crucial for businesses, markets and everyday Americans. Trust in the person putting those numbers out is just as important. President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics has a lot to prove on that score, based on the reaction he’s garnered from conservatives and liberals alike. While EJ Antoni — whose nomination is subject to Senate confirmation — could revamp the BLS after a series of mishaps in recent years have raised questions about agency procedures, economists worry that his MAGA Republican views could threaten the long-standing tradition of nonpartisanship at the agency.  Antoni Source: Texas Public Policy Foundation His vision for the BLS is already raising eyebrows from Wall Street to Washington. Antoni, whose plans include a “top to bottom” review of the agency, has floated the idea of suspending the government’s monthly jobs report — the gold-standard snapshot of the US labor market — until issues with data collection are corrected. (White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said putting out monthly reports remains “the hope.”) Trump ousted former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after the agency’s Aug. 1 report showed weak job growth in July and revised downward the numbers from the prior two months by the biggest amount since the pandemic. The president declared — without evidence — that the numbers had been “rigged” to make him look bad. Read More: Unlike past commissioners, who typically came to the agency with decades of bureaucratic experience at BLS or other relevant government institutions, Antoni has spent most of his career at right-wing think tanks. He’s chief economist at the Heritage Foundation and was a contributor to the organization’s Project 2025. A Heritage spokesperson said Antoni is declining all interviews. BLS figures, including key reports on inflation and the labor market, are used by policymakers at Federal Reserve and all levels of government when assessing the trajectory of policy. While there are only so many changes Antoni could make at the BLS, his nomination has economists trying to figure out how some of the most prized US economic indicators will be handled going forward. Among them is Ryan Bourne, an economist at the libertarian think tank Cato Institute. “With so many investment and policy decisions affected by official data reads, we all need confidence that they aren’t being politicized,” he said. — Augusta Saraiva | 
