The Bureau of Labor Statistics is an independent statistical agency that compiles and releases key U.S. economic data, such as employment and inflation. It operates under a much larger agency of the U.S. government, the Department of Labor.

The person who oversees the statistics bureau is the Commissioner of Labor Statistics and also goes by the title of the Statistical Official for the Department of Labor. The August 2025 ouster of the statistics chief by President Trump called into question the independence of the bureau, and now many Americans are wondering what will happen next and who will be appointed. READ MORE