President Trump nominated Brett Matsumoto, a supervisory research economist at the BLS and senior economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisers, to serve as commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Trump has accused the agency of issuing low jobs figures and said Matsumoto will "quickly fix" problems. The nomination follows the withdrawal of a prior pick, E.J. Antoni, and the firing of former commissioner Erika McEntarfer after revisions showed weaker summer job gains. The BLS produces critical economic data, including the consumer price index.
Trump Nominates Brett Matsumoto To Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics Amid Controversy
Hiring sign is displayed at a grocery store in Arlington Heights, Ill., Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is nominating Brett Matsumoto, a supervisory research economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) who has been serving as a senior economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisers, to lead the agency.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the BLS, accusing it of issuing low monthly jobs figures to make him look bad. There is no evidence the agency deliberately sought to undermine the president, though a series of revisions to earlier monthly reports this summer showed weaker job gains after Trump returned to the White House and the agency's previous commissioner was removed.
Matsumoto’s Background
Brett Matsumoto has worked as a supervisory research economist at the BLS and most recently as a senior economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The administration says he will address any internal problems quickly.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
On Truth Social, Mr. Trump wrote that Matsumoto is "a Brilliant, Reputable, and Trusted Economist who will restore GREATNESS to the Bureau of Labor Statistics" and said he would "Quickly fix" the agency.
Recent Controversies
The new nomination follows the withdrawal of an earlier pick, E.J. Antoni, the Heritage Foundation's chief economist, whose nomination was pulled in September amid questions about his qualifications and reporting that he was present near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The administration also dismissed the previous BLS commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, in August after the July jobs report — released that month — showed only 73,000 jobs added for the prior month. That July figure was later revised down to 72,000, and an earlier revision reduced estimated payroll gains for May and June by a combined 258,000 jobs.
Why It Matters
The BLS publishes key economic indicators used by policymakers, businesses and markets, including monthly payroll employment numbers and the consumer price index, a primary measure of inflation. Leadership changes at the agency are closely watched because they can affect confidence in official economic statistics.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that President Trump selected Matsumoto.
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