US President Donald Trump has nominated conservative economist E.J. Antoni to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the agency that is responsible for collecting and publishing the country's employment and inflation figures.

"Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE," Trump posted on his Truth Social account.

Antoni, chief economist at conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, would replace former President Joe Biden's appointment Erika McEntarfer.

According to the Heritage Foundation, Antoni holds a PhD in economics. Commentary he has authored has consistently praised Trump's policies, while being critical of his predecessor Biden.

The nomination must first be confirmed by the Senate.

Why did Trump dismiss Erika McEntarfer?

Trump fired McEntarfer in the beginning of August after the July report showed a sharp slowdown in hiring. The US president accused her of tampering with the jobs numbers, but provided no evidence to back his claims of data manipulation.

After firing McEntarfer, Trump said he would replace her with someone "much more competent and qualified."

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett later acknowledged that the jobs market was indeed cooling.

The BLS employs some 2,300 people as of September 2024. The bureau has recently come under scrutiny due to the eroding quality of the data it produces.

After returning to the White House, Trump imposed a hiring freeze in many government agencies, which has also impacted the BLS.

Edited by: Rana Taha