E.J. Antoni's selection as the new BLS Commissioner reflects tensions surrounding the agency's political independence. Despite his limited qualifications in economics, he proposed cutting the monthly jobs report, a key economic indicator. BLS data is respected due to its meticulous oversight, making manipulation difficult. However, concerns arise that Antoni could still undermine the credibility of government statistics without outright data manipulation. The long-standing integrity of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is currently at risk due to the political pressures surrounding its leadership changes.
Antoni does not appear to share that spirit of independence, nor does he seem to have a great deal of talent for economics or statistics, according to economists from across the political spectrum.
BLS data may not be completely tamper-proof, but they're pretty close. The sharpest economic minds in this country, both inside and outside the bureau, pay meticulous attention to the deepest layers of the data.
Unfortunately, that might not matter. Antoni doesn't have to manipulate any data to undermine the reliability of the government's economic statistics. That damage might already have been done.
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