Labor Dept Inspector General Launches Review of BLS Data Reporting Challenges

The U.S. Labor Department's inspector general has announced a review of the challenges and constraints faced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in collecting and reporting economic data. This move comes in light of recent large downward revisions to nonfarm payrolls.

Assistant Inspector General Laura Nicolosi sent a letter to acting BLS commissioner William Wiatrowski, informing him of the impending review. The letter highlighted the focus on problems and mitigation strategies related to collecting the Producer Price Index (PPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, as well as monthly employment figures.

The BLS has struggled with funding issues over the years and has been further impacted by administrative policies promoting government downsizing. These challenges have led to the suspension of consumer price data collection in several cities and the cessation of numerous indexes in the producer price report.