Trump’s New Data Chief Will Face Intense Scrutiny and a Shrunken Workforce
The Suitland Federal Center, which houses the Bureau of Labor Statistics headquarters in Suitland, Maryland.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergThe Bureau of Labor Statistics has shrunk since Brett Matsumoto left it a year ago – but the job he’s poised to take on is bigger than ever.
In Matsumoto, President Donald Trump has chosen a leader for the data agency who enjoys backing from the wider wonk community – something that looked unlikely last year when they were all up in arms. Trump had fired the previous chief, saying without evidence she was rigging the numbers, then named a MAGA loyalist as her replacement before backing away from the pick.