At a June 11 Senate hearing, Brett Matsumoto defended the integrity of employment statistics while warning that budget strain and weaker survey response rates could impair future data quality.
Bureau of Labor Statistics director nominee Brett Matsumoto told senators on June 11 that he found no evidence employment data had been manipulated or falsified, pushing back on claims that surfaced after President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer following a weak jobs report. Matsumoto said large revisions can result from technical factors, pledged to protect the agency’s independence and warned that budget pressure and declining survey response rates could weaken future data quality. The comments put the focus on the credibility of official labor statistics, which help shape economic policy, market expectations and investor confidence.