Trump’s BLS pick proposes changes to monthly jobs report
News | By Easton Martin | August 12, 2025
Economist E.J. Antoni, newly appointed by President Trump to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), has drawn attention with his proposal to suspend the agency’s monthly jobs report. Antoni, a former research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, argues the report’s headline unemployment rate is misleading and fails to capture the true state of the labor market.
According to Antoni, the report often masks declines in workforce participation by excluding those who have stopped looking for work from the unemployment figure. He contends this creates a distorted picture of economic health, which can mislead policymakers, investors, and the public.
Antoni has suggested that the BLS focus on alternative metrics, such as labor force participation rates and full-time versus part-time employment, to give a clearer assessment.
Supporters of his proposal say a pause in the report’s release could allow time to revise the methodology, improving accuracy and transparency. Critics warn that suspending the report could reduce government accountability and limit vital economic data.
Antoni maintains that his goal is not to hide information, but to ensure that the statistics driving economic policy truly reflect reality. “If the numbers don’t match what Americans are experiencing,” he said, “then the numbers need to change” in an interview with Fox Business.
