Trump pulls pick to lead US jobs data agency
US President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of conservative economist EJ Antoni as head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The nomination came shortly after Trump fired BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer in August, midway through her term, following a weak jobs report that raised concerns about the US economy. Antoni's nomination was praised by conservatives but some independent economists said he was not qualified for the job and that his confirmation could undermine the BLS's credibility. A White House official did not give a reason for the withdrawal but said the president plans to nominate a new candidate for the role soon. The official told the BBC: "Dr EJ Antoni is a brilliant economist and an American patriot that will continue to do good work on behalf of our great country. "President Trump is committed to fixing the longstanding failures at the BLS that have undermined the public's trust in critical economic data." The US Senate, ...