Trump to nominate economist E.J. Antoni as BLS head

The BLS is currently led by acting Commissioner William Watrowski in the interim.

McEntarfer’s dismissal came hours after the agency reported slower-than-expected nonfarm payroll growth in July and sharply revised downward job gains for May and June. McEntarfer, a Biden appointee, was supposed to serve in the position for a typical four-year term that often spans presidential terms.

Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation and a longtime critic of the BLS, contributed to Project 2025, a controversial conservative policy plan intended to guide Trump’s second term.

Antoni has questioned the Bureau’s data over the past year. Last fall, Antoni said Biden administration jobs data was “unreliable” after revisions showed the U.S. had 818,000 fewer jobs than first reported.

Antoni, who holds a PhD in economics from Northern Illinois University, is also a fellow at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, a conservative economic group.

“I am pleased to announce that I am nominating Highly Respected Economist, Dr. E.J. Antoni, as the next Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday evening. “Our economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE.”

Antoni’s appointment would require Senate confirmation.