It continues to grow more difficult for federal statistical agencies to accurately measure how the United States is doing. The American Statistical Association, in collaboration with George Mason University, released a report that highlights the challenges and possible solutions:
Our bottom-line assessment is that federal statistics are at risk. Federal statistical agencies have many strengths—economic indicators, such as the inflation rate, gasoline prices, and retail sales, roll out weekly, monthly, or quarterly on time and without fail; several agencies and OMB moved rapidly to produce timely, frequent data during Covid-19 on such topics as remote work and Covid-19 effects on health; and the 2020 Census was completed during the height of the pandemic. But the agencies face increasing challenges to their ability to innovate to the extent necessary to meet the nation’s detailed information and evidence requirements in the 21st century (e.g., for data on the economic effects of investments in infrastructure or of AI on work, education, and other sectors of society). The chief statistician’s office in OMB is under- resourced for its necessary functions to coordinate and lead a decentralized statistical system.
