Crumbling US Government Statistics: Budget Cuts Threaten Economic and Population Data
2025-03-15
Unstable funding for federal statistical agencies like the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis is jeopardizing the government statistics used to track the US economy and population. Budget shortfalls and short-term funding have already led to the termination of some datasets and proposals to reduce survey participants for key reports like the monthly jobs report. Long-term funding issues also plague the Census Bureau, impacting preparations for the crucial 2030 head count. Experts warn the system is like "crumbling infrastructure," and while data remains reliable for now, budget cuts and workforce reductions threaten data integrity, potentially impacting the 2030 census and the monthly jobs report.