IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 14

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics should adopt statistical measures that accurately reflect 

the United States workforce of the 21st century. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 4, 2005

Mr. DREIER (for himself, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. OXLEY, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. 

KING of Iowa, and Mr. KLINE) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the Bureau of Labor Statistics should adopt statistical 

measures that accurately reflect the United States workforce of the 21st century.

Whereas the United States economy is undergoing a transformation to a 21st century economy driven by innovation and entrepreneurship; 

Whereas the United States economy is marked by an increasingly independent and self-employed labor force; 

Whereas self-employed Americans who possess unique and 

valuable skills are the fastest growing sector of the 

United States labor force; 
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Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics produces two total 

employment measurements—the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Current Employment Statistics (CES) 

survey—which have diverged in their measurements of 

job creation; 

Whereas, as of November 2004, the difference in measurements of job creation between the CPS and the CES survey was approximately 3,000,000 jobs; 

Whereas evidence suggests that current statistical methodologies used to produce the CPS and the CES survey are 

potentially undercounting or overcounting employment in 

certain circumstances; 

Whereas Congress relies on economic data from United 

States statistical agencies in considering policies that will 

impact job creation, prosperity, and opportunity; and 

Whereas the need for the highest quality and most accurate 

economic data is a constant priority: Now, therefore, be 

it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) the Advisory Committee of the Bureau of 

4 Labor Statistics should evaluate its current statis5 tical measurements of employment to ensure that all 

6 categories and methods of employment in the United 

7 States economy are accurately reflected; 

8 (2) such evaluation should include an examina9 tion of the need for and effect of the following: 
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1 (A) increasing the sample size of the Cur2 rent Population Survey (CPS); 

3 (B) smoothing the month-to-month data in 

4 the CPS time series; 

5 (C) adjusting the Current Employment 

6 Statistics (CES) survey to account for monthly 

7 job turnover; and 

8 (D) adopting such other standards and 

9 practices as are necessary to ensure that the 

10 data published by the Bureau of Labor Statis11 tics are as accurate and reflective of employ12 ment in the United States as possible; and 

13 (3) the Advisory Committee should report to 

14 Congress its findings, conclusions, and recommenda15 tions from such evaluation, and the Bureau of Labor 

16 Statistics should update its statistical methodologies 

17 in accordance with such findings, conclusions, and 

18 recommendations as expeditiously as possible.

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