(Jan 31): US President Donald Trump said he intends to nominate Brett Matsumoto to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), his second pick for the role that’s been vacant since August.
“I am confident that Brett has the expertise to quickly fix the long history of issues at the BLS on behalf of the American people,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social late on Friday. The role carries a four-year term and is subject to Senate confirmation.
Matsumoto, who has a PhD in economics, arrived at the BLS in 2015 and works within the division of price and index number research. He had recently been on leave to serve at the White House Council of Economic Advisers as a senior economist.
The commissioner position opened up after Trump fired Erika McEntarfer following a report that showed weak job growth. He claimed, without evidence, that the numbers had been manipulated for political purposes. McEntarfer was appointed by former president Joe Biden.
Economists across the political spectrum, as well as former BLS commissioners, disputed his accusations. William Wiatrowski, a long-time BLS veteran, has served as acting commissioner in the interim.
The BLS commissioner is the only political appointee in an agency of roughly 2,000 that strives to be accurate, transparent and non-partisan. The next person to fill the role will be under pressure to uphold that image after Trump’s accusations fuelled concerns about the integrity of the data going forward.
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Like many statistical agencies, the BLS has long struggled with tight budgets and staffing constraints, which have only intensified in Trump’s second term. It had to cut back on several aspects of data collection last year due to limited resources. In addition to lower-level staff departures, about a third of its leadership positions also sit empty.
The division Matsumoto works at within the BLS focuses on long-term research, with an emphasis on resolving price measurement problems. Matsumoto has also published numerous research papers, including several related to consumer expenditures.
Trump first tapped the Heritage Foundation’s EJ Antoni for the role, which drew criticism from both conservative and liberal economists. Many pointed to his vocal political views and other controversial statements. The White House later pulled his nomination after sensing Antoni lacked the necessary votes for confirmation.
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