US President Donald Trump has picked an economist at a conservative think tank to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), after firing its previous commissioner this month following weaker-than-expected jobs data.
The president said that he was nominating EJ Antoni, a federal budget analyst with the Heritage Foundation, to be commissioner of one of America’s most important economic institutions.
“Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE,” he posted on Truth Social.
Earlier in August Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, accusing her of having “rigged” jobs figures to make him look bad – a claim rejected by a number of other economists.
