Trump taps BLS economist to lead the data agency
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The headquarters of the Department of Labor, the agency that oversees the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in Washington D.C. Photo: Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
President Trump said on Friday that he intended to nominate Brett Matsumoto, a former economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to run the crucial statistics agency.
Why it matters: It is an abrupt about-face from Trump's previous choice to lead one of the nation's most important economic agencies, a pick who was withdrawn after he was assailed for being too political.
Zoom in: Matsumoto's résumé is more in step with those of other traditional picks.
- He is currently an economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, but he spent the past decade at the BLS as a staffer within the division that studies price index measurement.
- Matsumoto also served at the CEA for a stint during Trump's first term, the president said in a social media post announcing the nomination.
- News of the nomination was earlier reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Between the lines: The BLS is a nonpartisan agency that collects and distributes critical, market-moving economic data on the labor market, inflation and more.
- Trump fired the previous head of the agency Erika McEntarfer last summer, claiming that the Biden-era appointee had manipulated the data that showed weaker jobs growth than previously known.
- That accusation, which Trump rehashed in his social media post on Friday, was widely debunked by economists and former BLS officials.
What they're saying: "For many years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, under WEAK and STUPID people, has been FAILING American Businesses, Policymakers, and Families by releasing VERY inaccurate numbers," Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday.
- "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 wrote.
Flashback: Trump previously nominated Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni, who sparked controversy when he suggested that the monthly jobs report should be temporarily suspended while the agency reassesses the underlying methodology.
- The White House withdrew the nomination in September.
Friction point: If confirmed, Matsumoto could step into the role after the BLS releases its annual revision of the previous year's payroll gains, expected next month.
- Economists and Federal Reserve officials anticipate that those revisions — which incorporate full employer payroll tax records — will show significantly slower jobs growth for 2025 than initially estimated.
