Trump picks veteran staffer to head Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Matsumoto has served as a BLS economist since 2015 with no prior political experience, holding a Ph.D. in economics from UNC Chapel Hill
• The BLS has been without a permanent commissioner since Trump fired Erika McEntarfer on August 1, hours after the agency published large downward job growth revisions
• The BLS, with over 2,000 employees, produces critical economic statistics including unemployment and inflation rates that investors, businesses, and the Federal Reserve rely on for key decisions

Trump Nominates BLS Veteran Amid Political Controversy Over Economic Data

President Trump plans to nominate Brett Matsumoto, a career economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) since 2015, to head the agency responsible for key U.S. economic indicators. The nomination comes after Trump fired the previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, on August 1, 2025, hours after the BLS published significant downward revisions to job growth estimates.

Key Background:

Matsumoto holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2015) and recently worked on assignment with the Council of Economic Advisers. He has no prior political experience, distinguishing him from Trump's earlier controversial nominee, E.J. Antoni from the Heritage Foundation, whose nomination was withdrawn after widespread criticism from economists across the political spectrum.

Market Implications:

The selection of a non-partisan career official is expected to reassure investors and economists who feared political interference at the BLS. The agency employs over 2,000 staff and publishes critical economic data including unemployment rates, inflation figures, and job growth numbers—information essential for Federal Reserve policy decisions and market analysis.

Current Challenges:

The BLS faces operational difficulties including stagnant funding that has effectively reduced its inflation-adjusted budget. A federal hiring freeze created staffing shortages, forcing the agency to reduce inflation survey coverage. Last fall's six-week government shutdown interrupted data collection, with economists criticizing the statistical methods used to fill data gaps, warning of potentially inaccurate inflation readings persisting for months.

Since August, William Wiatrowski has served as acting commissioner. Matsumoto's nomination requires Senate confirmation.