Staffing shortages, political interference, and a federal government shutdown are all disrupting the routine operations of the nonpartisan federal statistical agencies that reliably gather facts and publish data about the state of the U.S. economy and U.S. labor market. Many in private industry, state and local governments, think tanks, associations, and academics alike are stepping up to support and defend the integrity and importance of federal data, particularly federal labor statistics. Simultaneously, many people and organizations can and should engage in building data collaborations and datasets that, over time, could lead to even better economic data.

Of course, there can be no replacement for the value created when federal statistical agencies, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, follow publicly available standard operating procedures that protect confidential information and produce objective, timely, and accurate data for the public, as required under a bipartisan 2018 law and 2019 rulemaking. Since 1992, the National Academy of Sciences regularly recommends best practices to federal statistical agencies. And, until it was recently disbanded, independent technical experts on a Data Users Advisory Committee routinely met with and advised BLS staff. All other data products, including private ones, benchmark against federal data.

At the same time, the anemic BLS budget has fallen by 22 percent since 2010 in real dollars, despite the need to sustain funding and improve operations. While professional associations of economists and statisticians recommend a 10 percent increase in the 2026 federal budget to support current BLS operations, President Donald Trump’s budget instead recommends an 8 percent cut and further reductions in staff. (Estimates suggest that 20 percent of BLS staff have already left their positions since January 2025, and a third of the agency’s leadership roles are vacant.)

Making reliable data accessible in a timely manner to inform decision-making is foundational for economic growth and equity in the United States. As Jonathan Cohen at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and political scientist Katherine Cramer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison pointed out earlier this year, the right data are essential for a democracy that depends on an informed citizenry.

Read the full article about federal labor statistics by Peter Norlander at Equitable Growth.