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US President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of conservative economist EJ Antoni as head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).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, which is controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, will have to confirm the appointment.

The BBC has contacted the BLS and Antoni for comment.

Trump has long taken aim at the statistics bureau. He accused its former commissioner, Ms McEntarfer, of rigging employment numbers to make him "look bad".

The president has repeatedly dismissed concerns about his economic policies, arguing that the tariffs he has imposed on global trading partners will boost US jobs and manufacturers.

BLS data released in August showed that US employers added just 73,000 jobs in July, way below forecasts of 109,000.

Trump's unprecedented move to fire Ms McEntarfer sparked accusations that his administration was politicising economic data.

"Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform in August when he announced Antoni's nomination.

Antoni is an economist at the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, and was previously at conservative research group Texas Public Policy Foundation.

A close Trump ally, Antoni has also been critical of the BLS, calling its data "phoney baloney".

Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts told the BBC that Antoni is "one of the sharpest economic minds in the country" and that he will continue to serve the interests of the American people as the chief economist at the organisation.

"It is undeniable that BLS needs reform and EJ was the right man for the job," he added.

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