Trump picks conservative economist to lead jobs data agency

President Trump has selected EJ Antoni, a conservative economist from the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after firing the previous head amid disputes over job data accuracy. Trump criticized the former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer for allegedly manipulating jobs figures. Antoni, who holds a PhD in economics, has been critical of BLS statistics in the past and requires confirmation by the US Senate for the appointment. Steve Bannon has endorsed Antoni as the ideal candidate for the BLS role.