What if your pay cheque’s health report disappeared?
Let me ask you something. How do you know if the economy is healthy? You hear about it on the news, right? Every month, there’s a jobs report—unemployment rate, new jobs created, wages rising or falling. It’s like a check-up for the economy. But imagine this: what if that report just stopped coming?
That’s exactly what might happen. President Donald Trump has chosen EJ Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and Antoni thinks the agency should stop releasing its monthly jobs report — the one the entire country watches.
Who is EJ Antoni, and why does he want this?
Antoni is a conservative economist and a longtime critic of the BLS. He’s called their numbers “phoney baloney” and even joked last year that the government should “take a chainsaw to the BLS.” Not exactly subtle.
In an interview with Fox News—before he was even nominated—Antoni said the monthly jobs report is unreliable and should be suspended. He says we should only see the quarterly reports, which are slower to come out but, in his view, more accurate.
This isn’t just about data. This is about control, trust, and politics.
Read this later:
Good news for Southwest passengers: new booking option for flight reservations
One of Mexico’s finest taco and margerita joints opens first outlet in Texas
KFC finally brings back potato wedges nationwide after five-year wait
Love trivia and free Mexican grill food? Chipotle has the summer game for you
Why now?
Trump recently fired Erika McEntarfer, the agency’s former leader, after a report showed a sharp slowdown in jobs growth. Trump claimed the numbers were “rigged.” Economists across the board — left, right, center — said that accusation simply wasn’t true.
Now Antoni is stepping in, promising to “fix” things. Critics say he’s not fixing anything — he’s gutting one of the few trusted sources of economic truth.
Why does this matter to you?
Think of the monthly jobs report as the country’s dashboard. It tells you if the economy is speeding up, slowing down, or about to stall. It helps the government decide interest rates. It guides companies on whether to hire or lay off workers. And yes, it even helps regular folks decide whether it’s a good time to job hunt or ask for a raise.
If we lose it, we’d all be flying blind. Quarterly reports are useful, but they’re like reading last season’s weather forecast. Private companies run surveys, sure, but they’re nowhere near as consistent or trusted as the BLS.
The storm in Washington
The reaction to Antoni’s comments has been fierce:
- Republicans: Senator Bill Cassidy, who will help decide whether Antoni is confirmed, says he just wants a BLS leader who provides “accurate, unbiased information.” He hasn’t fully defended Antoni yet, but he hasn’t criticized him either.
- Democrats: Senator Patty Murray didn’t hold back. She warned that confirming Antoni would “shred the integrity” of America’s jobs data and turn it into “make-believe.”
Even economists who usually lean Republican are worried. One wrote, “Senators who vote to confirm Antoni are voting to eviscerate the BLS.” Another, Jessica Riedl, said Antoni’s past articles are “probably the most error-filled” she’s ever seen from a think tank economist.
The bigger pattern
This isn’t happening in isolation. The Trump administration has taken steps to shrink or reshape other government agencies, too:
- His education secretary, Linda McMahon, has openly pledged to dismantle the Department of Education.
- His Environmental Protection Agency chief, Lee Zeldin, recently scrapped a major finding that said greenhouse gases harm the environment.
Now, with Antoni, it’s the BLS. It’s another move to question or tear down long-standing institutions that provide public information.
What happens next?
The Senate will hold hearings on Antoni’s nomination. Expect it to get heated. Supporters will say the BLS needs reform — that the data isn’t as accurate as it used to be. Opponents will say Antoni wants to bury the truth.
Meanwhile, the BLS continues to release its monthly numbers. The latest report showed job growth slowing and prices still rising at the same pace as last month. Whether you trust those numbers or not, they’re still the best guide we’ve got.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt says it’s still “the plan and the hope” to keep publishing monthly reports, but she repeated that the agency’s methods need review.
What’s really at stake?
This fight is bigger than a single report. It’s about whether the public—and the markets—can trust government statistics at all. For decades, the BLS has been a neutral referee. People may argue about what the numbers mean, but not whether they’re real.
If Antoni’s plan goes through, that trust could vanish. Businesses, investors, and everyday workers would have far less clarity. Imagine trying to steer a car with the dashboard covered up.
So where does this leave you?
Here’s the bottom line: if the monthly jobs report disappears, you’ll have less information about how the economy is doing, and you’ll get it later. Politicians will spin what’s happening, businesses will guess, and you’ll be left wondering who’s telling the truth.
This isn’t just about economists and senators. It’s about whether ordinary Americans — people like you — can still see a clear picture of where the job market is heading.
For now, the report is still alive. But the fight over it has only just begun.
