Trump Appoints Veteran BLS Economist Brett Matsumoto as New Commissioner
Euro Pacific Asset Management Chief Economist Peter Schiff assesses the economy under President Donald Trump, its impact on gold and more on ‘The Claman Countdown.’
President Donald Trump is set to nominate economist Brett Matsumoto to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), according to sources familiar with the situation.
This nomination marks a significant move, as it promotes a career staffer to head the federal government’s primary agency for economic statistics. The BLS has been without a commissioner since Trump dismissed its previous chief on August 1, following dissatisfaction with job market data.
Matsumoto has been an economist at the BLS since 2015. He spent much of the past year working with the White House Council of Economic Advisers, but he lacks prior political experience. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015.
The Suitland Federal Center, which houses the Bureau of Labor Statistics headquarters in Suitland, Md., Aug. 11, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Matsumoto has not responded to requests for comment.
Trump’s decision to select a long-serving official without a deeply partisan background is likely to reassure economists and investors concerned about potential political interference at the BLS.
The dismissal of Commissioner Erika McEntarfer occurred shortly after the BLS released significant downward revisions to previous job growth estimates, raising suspicions that Trump sought a leader who would produce more favorable statistics.
Last fall, Trump nominated E.J. Antoni, an economist from the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, for the position. Antoni was a vocal critic of the BLS and lacked federal government experience, with minimal academic research to his name. His nomination faced widespread criticism from economists across the political spectrum, leading the White House to withdraw it before Senate consideration.
President Donald Trump and economist EJ Antoni in the Oval Office after Antoni’s nomination to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (White House)
FORMER BLS COMMISSIONER SAYS THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO COLLECT DATA FOR JOBS REPORTS
The BLS, with a workforce exceeding 2,000, is responsible for collecting and publishing vital economic statistics, including the unemployment rate, inflation rate, and job growth figures. Although part of the Labor Department, it operates independently, relying on nonpartisan staff economists who compile data without input from the commissioner, the agency’s sole political appointee.
Signage for a job fair on 5th Ave. after the release of the jobs report in Manhattan, N.Y., Sept. 3, 2021. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)
Investors, business executives, and Federal Reserve officials heavily rely on BLS data to assess the health of the economy and make critical decisions. The six-week interruption in BLS data during last fall’s shutdown highlighted the agency’s significance and the limitations of private-sector data substitutes.
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Congressional funding for the BLS has stagnated for years, resulting in a shrinking inflation-adjusted budget. A federal hiring freeze last year led to a shortage of staff for the labor-intensive task of price checking, forcing the BLS to reduce its inflation survey in certain regions.
Recently, economists have criticized some statistical methods used by the BLS to address missing price data from last year’s government shutdown, suggesting that inaccurate inflation readings may persist for months. The BLS maintains that it has adhered to established contingency plans for missing data.
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Matsumoto, whose background mirrors that of McEntarfer prior to her BLS tenure, will require Senate confirmation. Since August, the BLS has been temporarily led by William Wiatrowski, a long-serving staff member.
Euro Pacific Asset Management Chief Economist Peter Schiff assesses the economy under President Donald Trump, its impact on gold and more on ‘The Claman Countdown.’
President Donald Trump is set to nominate economist Brett Matsumoto to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), according to sources familiar with the situation.
This nomination marks a significant move, as it promotes a career staffer to head the federal government’s primary agency for economic statistics. The BLS has been without a commissioner since Trump dismissed its previous chief on August 1, following dissatisfaction with job market data.
Matsumoto has been an economist at the BLS since 2015. He spent much of the past year working with the White House Council of Economic Advisers, but he lacks prior political experience. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015.
The Suitland Federal Center, which houses the Bureau of Labor Statistics headquarters in Suitland, Md., Aug. 11, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
WHITE HOUSE PULLS NOMINATION OF EJ ANTONI TO HEAD BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Matsumoto has not responded to requests for comment.
Trump’s decision to select a long-serving official without a deeply partisan background is likely to reassure economists and investors concerned about potential political interference at the BLS.
The dismissal of Commissioner Erika McEntarfer occurred shortly after the BLS released significant downward revisions to previous job growth estimates, raising suspicions that Trump sought a leader who would produce more favorable statistics.
Last fall, Trump nominated E.J. Antoni, an economist from the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, for the position. Antoni was a vocal critic of the BLS and lacked federal government experience, with minimal academic research to his name. His nomination faced widespread criticism from economists across the political spectrum, leading the White House to withdraw it before Senate consideration.
President Donald Trump and economist EJ Antoni in the Oval Office after Antoni’s nomination to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (White House)
FORMER BLS COMMISSIONER SAYS THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO COLLECT DATA FOR JOBS REPORTS
The BLS, with a workforce exceeding 2,000, is responsible for collecting and publishing vital economic statistics, including the unemployment rate, inflation rate, and job growth figures. Although part of the Labor Department, it operates independently, relying on nonpartisan staff economists who compile data without input from the commissioner, the agency’s sole political appointee.
Signage for a job fair on 5th Ave. after the release of the jobs report in Manhattan, N.Y., Sept. 3, 2021. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)
Investors, business executives, and Federal Reserve officials heavily rely on BLS data to assess the health of the economy and make critical decisions. The six-week interruption in BLS data during last fall’s shutdown highlighted the agency’s significance and the limitations of private-sector data substitutes.
WHO IS KEVIN WARSH, TRUMP’S PICK TO SUCCEED JEROME POWELL AS FED CHAIR?
Congressional funding for the BLS has stagnated for years, resulting in a shrinking inflation-adjusted budget. A federal hiring freeze last year led to a shortage of staff for the labor-intensive task of price checking, forcing the BLS to reduce its inflation survey in certain regions.
Recently, economists have criticized some statistical methods used by the BLS to address missing price data from last year’s government shutdown, suggesting that inaccurate inflation readings may persist for months. The BLS maintains that it has adhered to established contingency plans for missing data.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Matsumoto, whose background mirrors that of McEntarfer prior to her BLS tenure, will require Senate confirmation. Since August, the BLS has been temporarily led by William Wiatrowski, a long-serving staff member.
