Group 1 - President Trump plans to nominate economist Brett Matsumoto to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which has been without a commissioner since August 1 [1][4] - Matsumoto has been an economist at the BLS since 2015 and has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [2] - The nomination of Matsumoto, a long-serving official without a deeply partisan record, is seen as a relief to economists and investors concerned about political interference at the BLS [4] Group 2 - Trump's removal of the previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, followed large downward revisions to job growth estimates, raising concerns about the potential for biased statistics [5] - The White House previously nominated E.J. Antoni, a right-leaning economist, but withdrew the nomination due to widespread criticism from economists [6] - The BLS, with over 2,000 staff, plays a crucial role in collecting and publishing key economic statistics, including unemployment and inflation rates, which are vital for investors and Federal Reserve officials [8] Group 3 - Congressional funding for the BLS has stagnated, leading to a shrinking inflation-adjusted budget and staffing shortages due to a federal hiring freeze [9] - Economists have criticized the BLS's statistical methods for filling in missing price data from last year's government shutdown, suggesting that inaccurate inflation readings may persist [10] - Matsumoto's confirmation would require Senate approval, and the BLS has been led by acting commissioner William Wiatrowski since August [11]