In today’s news and commentary, Amazon layoffs mount, Trump picks new head for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Department of Labor authorizes additional H-2B visas.

Last week, Amazon announced plans to cut 16,000 corporate jobs in an effort to streamline the company’s bureaucracy and “increase ownership.” Affected workers will be given severance and 90 days to search for other roles within the company. The news follows widespread layoffs in October, which targeted approximately 14,000 employees. Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, said it is “not [their] plan” to announce mass layoffs every few months, but that the company would continue to “make adjustments as appropriate.” 

On Friday, it was reported that President Trump plans to nominate Brett Matsumoto to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a position that has been vacant since August. Matsumoto, who currently serves as a senior economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, will replace Biden appointee Erika McEntarfer, whom Trump dismissed after an underwhelming August jobs report. The BLS has been historically nonpartisan, focusing on accuracy and transparency. However, budget cuts and accusations by President Trump have undermined public trust in the agency’s credibility. On this point, President Trump expressed that he is “confident that Brett has the expertise to QUICKLY fix the long history of issues at the BLS on behalf of the American People.” Economists of all political stripes have disputed these accusations. 

Also on Friday, the Department of Labor issued a rule authorizing more than 64,000 additional seasonal employment visas primarily in landscaping, hospitality, and seafood processing. These H-2B visas will help address labor shortages as the United States prepares for tourism increases associated with major events like the FIFA World Cup. The Department of Labor is allowed to issue up to 64,716 additional visas on top of the initial 66,000 cap if market conditions call for them. This is the fourth year in a row the agencies have authorized all available supplemental visas.