WASHINGTON, United States, Jan 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Friday named a new nominee to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), after he controversially fired the previous officeholder last year for reporting underwhelming jobs numbers.

Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he would be nominating economist Brett Matsumoto, who currently serves as a White House advisor, to become BLS commissioner.

The agency, housed in the Department of Labor, oversees the monthly gathering of employment and other data that is closely watched for insights into the health of the world's largest economy.

In August, Trump shocked many when he fired BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer just one year into her four-year term, claiming without evidence that she had "faked " the previous month's lackluster jobs numbers.

He then appointed a staunch supporter to the fill the post, conservative economist E.J. Antoni.

However, Antoni's nomination faced resistance by some Republicans in Congress over his lack of government experience, worries about independence, and reporting on his previous conspiracy-laden and misogynistic social media posts.

Matsumoto, who must still be confirmed by the Senate, has extensive experience at the BLS and has no public history of political activity, according to the New York Times.