NWLC on Threat by Trump’s BLS Commissioner Pick to Pause Monthly Jobs Report Data
Washington, DC — Following news that Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, E.J. Antoni, suggested suspending the bureau’s monthly jobs report, the National Women’s Law Center’s vice president for research, Jasmine Tucker, released the following statement:
“It was bad enough that Trump is seeking to replace the previous Bureau of Labor Statistics chief with yet another political loyalist. But now, Trump’s pick to lead this agency, E.J. Antoni, has the misguided idea to pause the one reliable data source we have to track how women are faring in the economy.
“Eliminating public access to this information is dangerous — especially at a time when our economy is contracting, Black women’s unemployment is rising, and women are leaving the labor force in large numbers. The Law Center has consistently provided the media and public with monthly updates on women’s labor force participation and other economic indicators using this data. Under E.J. Antoni’s potential leadership, our ability to continue this vital work could soon be cut off in yet another power play by people desperate to hide the truth.”
For decades, NWLC has provided regular updates on how women are faring in the economy, uncovering key trends that have helped shed light on women’s economic opportunity during periods of political and economic upheaval. Losing this impartial data will undermine efforts to improve women’s economic wellbeing, damage the credibility and reliability of data coming from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and hurt overall efforts to objectively assess the health of our economy.
For media inquiries or to speak with Jasmine Tucker, please contact [email protected].
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