Trump Taps Agency Economist Brett Matsumoto to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics
Table of Contents
The months-long search for a new commissioner to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) appears to be nearing its end, as President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Brett Matsumoto, a veteran agency economist, to the post on Friday. The nomination follows a period of instability at the BLS, marked by the contentious firing of Erika McEntarfer in August after the release of a jobs report that showed sluggish employment growth.
Trump’s dismissal of McEntarfer stemmed from unsubstantiated allegations of political manipulation of the data, a claim that has since eroded public trust in the BLS – a federal agency tasked with remaining nonpartisan and providing crucial economic indicators. The BLS, with roughly 2,000 employees, has operated without a permanent commissioner since McEntarfer’s departure, and the commissioner’s four-year term requires Senate confirmation. Prior to Matsumoto, the White House had nominated EJ Antoni, an economist from the Heritage Foundation, but withdrew his name after it became clear he lacked the necessary support for confirmation.
Who is Brett Matsumoto?
Matsumoto is a career economist deeply rooted within the agency he is poised to lead, should his nomination be confirmed. According to his LinkedIn profile, he holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Delaware and earned a doctorate in economics from the University of North Carolina in 2015. Since then, he has served as a supervisory research economist at the BLS, contributing to numerous academic papers focused on areas such as consumer expenditure and inflation measurement. Most recently, Matsumoto has been on assignment with the Council of Economic Advisers for the past year.
Matsumoto maintains a relatively low profile on social media. A Facebook account under his name reveals a past profile picture featuring a photo with Ivanka Trump taken in August 2020, while his current profile picture showcases him alongside a tabby cat.
Trump Confident in Matsumoto’s Ability to “Fix” the BLS
In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed confidence in Matsumoto’s ability to address perceived issues at the BLS, stating he has the expertise to “QUICKLY fix the long history of issues…on behalf of the American People.”
The nomination has been met with cautious optimism from economists. Claudia Sahm, Chief Economist at New Century Advisors, posted on X that Matsumoto is an “excellent choice” for the commissioner position. Skanda Amarnath, Executive Director of Employ America, echoed this sentiment on X, describing Matsumoto as “a very thoughtful person who understands the nuts and bolts of data measurement and estimation.”
Matsumoto’s nomination represents a potential shift towards restoring stability and credibility to the BLS, an agency vital to understanding the health of the American economy.
