Erica Groshen on the Future of Official Statistics

Erica Groshen, former BLS Commissioner and Senior Economist with the Labor Dynamics Institute (LDI) and the Institute for Compensation Studies (ICS), recently published a reflection on the "Future of Official Statistics" in the United States.

Groshen, E. L. (2021). The Future of Official Statistics. Harvard Data Science Review, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.1162/99608f92.591917c6

In particular, she ponders whether a unified statistical system (a "StatsUSA" agency, similar to many other countries) is necessary or can work. She concludes that

"we must move forward with steps such as data-sharing legislation, flexible and dependable funding, adoption of common data schema, and a modernized, more coordinated statistical system."