President Donald Trump dismissed Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erika McEntarfer last month, alleging without evidence that she had manipulated employment figures for “political purposes.”
His nominee for the position, Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni, has already generated significant controversy and raised concerns about potential political influence over critical economic data. Antoni has yet to appear before the Senate for a confirmation hearing.
In the interim, William Wiatrowski, who has held leadership roles at the BLS for over two decades, is serving as Acting Commissioner.
Most industry experts and former BLS commissioners maintain that the agency’s chief cannot unilaterally alter employment data. The commissioner does not see the jobs report until after its completion and has no direct means of changing the final numbers.
However, economists fear that a future commissioner with a political agenda could undermine the integrity of the data through indirect means, such as key staffing changes, investment cuts, or procedural alterations.
While there is no suggestion that Acting Commissioner Wiatrowski has or will alter any forthcoming data, Trump’s unsubstantiated claims and his firing of McEntarfer could erode public trust in the agency’s reports.
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