President Donald Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), The Washington Times reports.

The announcement follows Trump’s abrupt dismissal of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on August 1, after the agency published July’s jobs report showing an increase of 73,000 positions—less than half the previous month’s gain. Revised data for May and June further reduced job numbers by nearly 900,000. The president criticised the figures as “rigged” and accused McEntarfer of political bias.

McEntarfer, who held the commissioner post since January 2024, holds a Ph.D. in economics and has served in key government economic roles, including the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Her abrupt firing sparked concern among economists and bipartisan lawmakers about potential political interference in an agency long respected for its impartial and rigorous data.

Antoni, a critic of the BLS’s methodology, has called for suspending monthly jobs reports amid doubts about data accuracy. His nomination requires Senate confirmation and would succeed acting commissioner William Wiatrowski.

The July jobs report had significant implications beyond politics, as Federal Reserve officials viewed the slowing hiring numbers as evidence of a weakening labor market, supporting considerations of interest rate cuts to sustain economic growth.