U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics

November 2016
Table of Contents

Table of Contents

TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview .................................................................................. 1

Mission and Authorizing Legislation.......................................................................................... 1

Organizational Structure ............................................................................................................. 3

Organizational Changes During the Past Eight Years.............................................................. 10

Key Leaders.............................................................................................................................. 10

TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play........................................................................................ 12

Key Meetings, Decisions, and Announcements ....................................................................... 12

BLS Priorities and Issues.......................................................................................................... 16

Key Agency Stakeholders......................................................................................................... 25

TAB 3: Initiatives........................................................................................................................ 27

Major Grants and Contracts...................................................................................................... 27

Audits and Reports.................................................................................................................... 27

Management.............................................................................................................................. 28

Calendar.................................................................................................................................... 31

TAB 4: Budget............................................................................................................................. 34

TAB 5: Agency Performance ..................................................................................................... 38
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

1

TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

Mission and Authorizing Legislation

Mission

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is the 

principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, 

and price changes in the economy. Its mission is to collect, analyze, and disseminate essential 

economic information to support public and private decision-making that forms the basis of our 

democratic, free-enterprise system. Like all federal statistical agencies, BLS executes its 

statistical mission with independence, serving its users by providing products and services that 

are accurate, objective, relevant, timely, and accessible. Policies and decisions based on BLS 

data affect virtually all Americans, and the wide range of BLS data products is necessary to 

fulfill the diverse needs of a broad customer base.

Objectivity, impartiality, and transparency are necessary for BLS to accomplish its mission. 

They remain, today, the basic principle upon which all BLS activities are based. Over the years, 

Congress, Secretaries of Labor, BLS advisory groups, professional associations, academia, and 

the press have actively supported the independence and impartiality of BLS.

In carrying out its mission, BLS adheres to the presentation of facts, which are the results of 

surveys or other validated sources. These surveys are either conducted by BLS itself or under 

contract with the U.S. Census Bureau (Census), State partners, or private contractors. BLS also

has no Schedule C appointments below the position of Commissioner. The Commissioner is 

appointed to a fixed 4-year term which is not necessarily coincidental with the President’s term. 

Furthermore, BLS conducts its affairs in an open environment and publishes detailed 

methodologies for all its program in the Handbook of Methods found here: 

http://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/about.htm. All major changes in program design, scope, and 

methods are discussed in advance with users and advisory committees and described in 

published materials. Major changes are announced in advance for the benefit of all users. 

Finally, BLS emphasizes the limitations of its products. Both in writing and in public 

statements, BLS attempts to educate data users on the characteristics of its survey data, pointing 

out limitations in results, design, or methods where appropriate.

At a broad macro level, BLS produces a large share of the Nation's most widely-watched, timely, 

and sensitive measures of economic performance.

1

 At a micro level, BLS statistics impact the 

daily lives of the vast majority of Americans. For example, the employment and unemployment 

data are used in a variety of Federal funding formulas. The Consumer Price Index is used to 

adjust income tax brackets, and directly impacts all Americans who receive Social Security 

benefits or other Federal benefits or transfer payments. 

 1 Release dates for BLS Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEIs) can be found in the Calendar section.
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

2

Authorizing Legislation

First established as the Bureau of Labor within the Department of the Interior (1884), the Bureau 

of Labor Statistics has always been assigned to "acquire and diffuse among the people of the 

United States useful information on subjects connected with labor...” (29 U.S.C. 1). At first this 

involved special studies and miscellaneous reports. In 1913, the Department of Labor Act 

(PL 426-62; 37 Stat. 737), established the current DOL. This act, which transferred the BLS to 

DOL, directed the Bureau to report “at least once each year, or oftener if necessary, full and 

complete statistics of the conditions of labor...” Over time, as the Bureau continued to be DOL’s 

statistical arm, the Bureau's emphasis shifted to the establishment and maintenance of several 

statistical series and analysis concentrating on key economic and social developments, including 

the Wholesale Price Index and publication of the Monthly Labor Review (1915). 

All of the Bureau's statistical programs, either individually or in conjunction with other 

programs, meet statutory responsibilities assigned to BLS or to the Department of Labor. The 

originating legislation that required the establishment of the Bureau in the late 1800s authorized 

it to collect information on labor:

“... and especially upon its relation to capital, the hours of labor, the earnings of laboring 

men and women, and the means of promoting their material, social, intellectual, and 

moral prosperity.”

In addition to this umbrella authorization, which has been interpreted broadly to cover the 

production of all BLS data, many recent joint resolutions and acts of Congress have required the 

production and/or use of BLS statistics such as the Consumer Price Index, Producer Price Index, 

unemployment data, labor market and career trend information, and average weekly wages. 

Beyond the aforementioned Congressional actions, authorization of BLS output is implicit in the 

annual Congressional review and enactment of the BLS appropriation to support the Bureau's 

statistical output. In addition, the Bureau is authorized to perform work or services on a cost

basis consistent with its mission (29 U.S.C. 9). 

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is charged by statute with coordinating the 

Federal statistical system. The Director of OMB delegates these responsibilities to the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). BLS, and all federal statistical agencies, follows

statistical policy directives released by OMB/OIRA that identify minimum requirements for 

statistical agencies. More information can be found here: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg_statpolicy. 

Furthermore, BLS adheres to the published guidance, Principles and Practices for a Federal 

Statistical Agency, put forth by the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) of the National 

Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. BLS and other principal statistical agencies 

use this publication to guide their strategic planning, daily operations, and interactions with 

stakeholders. 

More information on the Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency can be found 

here: http://www.bls.gov/bls/integrity.htm
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

3

Organizational Structure

Organizational Chart
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

4

Workforce At-A-Glance
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

5

Offices and Program Overview

Labor Force Statistics

Labor Force Statistics programs produce, analyze, and publish aggregate data on payroll 

employment and the civilian labor force, employment and unemployment, persons not in the 

labor force, labor demand and turnover, wages, hours, earnings, occupational employment, time 

use, and employment projections. The programs also prepare studies that cover a broad range of 

topics important to the work of key agencies in DOL and other stakeholders. The subjects

include annual analyses of labor market developments, occupational analyses, characteristics of 

special worker groups, time-use patterns of workers and nonworkers, and labor force experiences 

of displaced workers. In addition, these programs develop information about the labor market 

and labor force trends 10 years into the future. They also make assessments of the effect on 

employment of specified changes in economic conditions and/or changes in federal programs 

and policies. For example, numerous analyses have appeared in academic journal articles, the 

BLS Monthly Labor Review, and the BLS publication, Beyond the Numbers, on such diverse 

topics as the impact of long-term unemployment, defining and measuring the nature of hi-tech 

industries, employment in the health care industry, and the impact of worker strikes on the U.S. 

economy.

Private sector uses of Labor Force Statistics include determining wages for employees, 

comparing employee turnover rates to national averages, and informing plant location, sales, and 

purchase decisions. Additionally, local area employment data are used in models to assess the 

risk of underwriting loans, including bonds and mortgages. 

Labor Force Statistics comprises the following statistical programs and activities:

Current Population Survey (CPS)

Monthly household measures of the employment and unemployment experience of the nation’s 

population, classified by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and a variety of other characteristics.

Current Employment Statistics (CES)2

Monthly establishment measures of employment, hours, and earnings by industry and geography 

from the payroll records of employers.

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)2

Quarterly counts of monthly unemployment, insurance-covered employment, and quarterly 

wages by industry and geography. This program serves as a sampling frame for BLS 

establishment surveys.

Business Employment Dynamics (BED) 

Quarterly measures of gross job gains and losses by industry and employer size class, produced 

from QCEW data.

 2 A Labor Market Information Cooperative Statistical program. See section on Major Grants and Contracts for a 

description of these programs. 
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

6

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)2

Annual measures of employment and wages by detailed occupation, industry, and geography.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)2

Monthly measures of state and area employment and unemployment by residence.

National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS)

Information gathered at multiple points in time on the labor market activities and other 

significant life events of several groups of men and women to facilitate study of the causes and 

consequences of conditions, events, and policies.

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS)

Monthly measures of levels and rates for job openings, hires, and total separations by industry 

sector and region.

American Time Use Survey (ATUS)

Annual estimates of time spent in work and non-work activities by demographic characteristics.

Employment Projections (EP)

Long-term (10-year) projections for the labor force, the overall economy, and industry and 

occupational employment and job openings by occupation. For its Occupational Outlook 

Handbook, EP also produces detailed information on hundreds of occupations including the type 

of work, education, training, and other qualifications needed; employment; job outlook; wages; 

similar occupations; and references for additional information for hundreds of occupations.

Prices and Living Conditions

Prices and Living Conditions programs produce, analyze, and publish a wide variety of 

information on price change in the U.S. economy, and conduct research and analysis to improve 

the economic statistics produced. In addition to meeting general statutory responsibilities 

assigned to BLS (29 U.S.C. 1 and 2), these programs produce data that form the basis for 

adjusting or setting payments, benefits, or other income as required by many laws and private 

sector contracts. Indexes tracking price change are a vital input into both the National Income 

and Product Accounts and gross domestic product (GDP), as price indexes allow conversion 

from nominal terms into real terms. This allows for easy historical comparisons. Prices and 

Living Conditions data also are used by the Social Security Administration to revise benefits 

annually based on price level changes, the Internal Revenue Service to update tax brackets, and 

by numerous states to adjust minimum wage levels. 

Private sector uses of Prices and Living Conditions data include the use of price level change 

data in price escalation clauses for long-term contracts and escalator clauses. Prices and Living 

Conditions data also are used to measure changes in the prices of goods and services traded 

between the United State and the rest of the world. 

Prices and Living Conditions comprises the following statistical programs and activities:

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

Measures monthly price change for consumer goods and services.
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

7

Producer Price Index (PPI)

Measures monthly average price change received by domestic producers.

International Price Program (IPP)

Measures monthly price change of commodities in U.S. foreign trade (imports and exports).

Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE)

Measures consumers’ expenditures and income by households.

Compensation and Working Conditions

Compensation and Working Conditions programs produce, analyze, and publish a diverse set of 

measures of employee compensation, including cost, wages, and benefits, and work-related 

injuries, illnesses, and fatalities; compile work stoppages statistics; and conduct research to 

improve the measurement process.

Private sector uses of Compensation and Working Conditions data include comparing rates of 

injuries and illnesses to industry averages. Additionally, Compensation and Working Conditions 

data on compensation packages (wages plus benefits) are used to aid collective bargaining 

negotiations and also are used to manage turnover rates by offering more competitive 

compensation packages relative to industry peers. 

Compensation and Working Conditions comprises the following statistical programs and 

activities:

National Compensation Survey (NCS)

Comprehensive measures of compensation trends, benefits incidence, and detailed provisions. 

The NCS provides pay estimates each year to the Federal Salary Council and President’s Pay 

Agent for broad categories of professional, administrative, technical, and officer jobs at various 

General Schedule work levels. The Employee Benefits Security Administration uses NCS for a 

variety of research projects, including those focused on self-insured health plans and ongoing 

research into the actuarial value of employer-provided health plans. Additionally, DOL staff in 

the Chief Evaluation Office often request special tabulations of NCS estimates directly and 

through contractors working on projects funded by DOL. In the past year, NCS has produced 

special tabulations on paid sick leave and overtime, as well as on combinations of leave and 

disability insurance coverage.

Employment Cost Index (ECI)

Measures quarterly changes in total compensation (wages and salaries, and employer 

costs for employee benefits) for the civilian economy. In addition, the Employer Costs 

for Employee Compensation (ECEC) publication provides quarterly estimates of 

compensation costs per hour worked.

Employee Benefits Survey (EBS)

Measures the incidence and provisions of employee benefit plans in private industry and 

in state and local governments.
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

8

Work Stoppages Statistics (WSS)

Monthly and annual data on major strikes and lockouts.

Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS)

Statistics that assist employers and policymakers in focusing their safety and health efforts and 

allow workers to be better informed about workplace hazards by providing relevant data on 

injuries, illnesses, and fatalities that affect America’s workers. OSHS data often are used in the 

creation of state occupational health indicators that are used by states to allocate public health 

resources. 

DOL and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) use OSHS data to identify 

trends in occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities to allocate resources for enforcement and 

communication efforts and to measure the effectiveness of the 1970 Occupational Safety and 

Health Act in reducing work-related injuries and illnesses. 

Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII)3

Measures annual incidence of work-related injuries and illnesses, as well as worker 

demographics and case characteristics of the most severe injuries and illnesses.

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI)3

Annual counts of fatally injured workers by industry and state, characteristics of workers, 

and the circumstances leading to their deaths.

Occupational Requirement Survey (ORS)4

Produces data on the physical demands, environmental conditions, necessary vocational 

preparation, and mental and cognitive requirements typically characterizing a job. Estimates 

from this survey will be released for the first cycle in December 2016. The Employment and 

Training Administration (ETA) has shown interest in the estimates of vocational preparation to 

support information requests from the Office of Foreign Labor Certification.

Productivity and Technology

Productivity and Technology programs produce, analyze, and publish a diverse set of measures 

of productivity trends in the U.S. economy, as well as in major sectors and individual industries. 

These programs also analyze trends in order to examine the factors underlying productivity 

change. Data produced by the Productivity and Technology programs aid economic 

policymakers, business leaders, and researchers in analyzing current economic activity. In 

addition, these data are used as economic indicators; in studies of relationships between 

productivity, wages, prices, profits, and employment; and as an aid in understanding sources of 

economic growth. The productivity measurement programs are authorized by an act dated 

June 7, 1940 (29 U.S.C. 2b), which directs that BLS “make continuing studies of productivity 

and labor costs in the manufacturing, mining, transportation, distribution, and other industries.”

 3 A Federal-State Occupational Safety and Health Statistics program. See section on Major Grants and Contracts

for a description of these program.

4 This program is funded through a reimbursable arrangement with the Social Security Administration, which plans 

to use the information in their administration of disability programs.
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

9

Private sector uses of Productivity and Technology data include comparing productivity of firms 

to trends in the larger industry or industries. 

Productivity and Technology comprises the following statistical programs and activities:

Major Sector Productivity (MSP)

Measures quarterly and annual change in labor productivity for broad sectors of the economy

(i.e., business, nonfarm business, manufacturing, and nonfinancial corporations), as well as 

annual change in multifactor productivity for the private nonfarm business sector and 3-digit 

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) manufacturing industries.

Industry Productivity Studies (IPS)

Measures annual change in labor productivity and unit labor costs for about 400 industries, and 

annual change in multifactor productivity for 88 4-digit NAICS manufacturing industries, linehaul railroads, and air transportation.

Executive Direction

Executive Direction and Staff Services provide agency-wide policy and management direction, 

and centralized program support activities. Major goals of these programs are the development 

and improvement of economic and statistical programs, efficient management of ongoing 

programs, and provision of the technical, administrative, information technology, dissemination, 

and publication services necessary to produce and release statistical and research output in a 

reliable, secure, timely, and effective manner.

Executive Direction supports the BLS statistical programs in numerous ways:

Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner

The Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, in cooperation with program and support offices, 

plan, direct, and manage all BLS activities. The Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner also 

represent the agency in both national and international forums, including those with the U.S. 

Congress, the Administration, and economic and statistical organizations.

Administration

The Administrative program functions include budget formulation and execution, accounting and 

payroll services, management information systems, human resources management, workforce 

training, equal employment opportunity programs, property management, contract 

administration, and statistical confidentiality policy. 

Field Operations

The Field Operations program consists of a national office component and six regional offices. 

The national office provides overall operations planning and allocates workload and resources to 

regional offices. The regional offices collect survey data, provide and administer federal/state 

grants, monitor and evaluate state work on BLS grants, disseminate region-specific data and 

information, and provide outreach to local and national audiences.
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

10

Publication and Special Studies

The Publications program makes the statistical materials and research findings of the agency 

available to the public and responds to inquiries from the public and the media on a timely basis. 

Information is available to the public 24 hours a day via the BLS website. 

Survey Methods Research

The Survey Methods Research program evaluates the effectiveness and soundness of the survey 

methods currently used by BLS programs, investigates alternative methods to determine their 

appropriateness for BLS programs, and develops new methods for improving the efficiency and 

quality of BLS programs. 

Technology and Survey Processing

The Technology and Survey Processing program functions include the development, 

management, operation, and security of systems and infrastructure that are used for collecting, 

editing, estimating, and tabulating survey data; systems for public access to BLS data; and 

management of the BLS IT infrastructure. 

More information on BLS Surveys and Programs can be found here: 

http://www.bls.gov/bls/descriptions.htm

Organizational Changes During the Past Eight Years

None

Key Leaders

Office of the Commissioner

Commissioner (Political Appointment) – Erica L. Groshen, term expires January 27, 2017

Deputy Commissioner – William J. Wiatrowski

Director of Public Affairs (DOL embedded employee) – Megan Kindelan

Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics

Associate Commissioner – Michael W. Horrigan

Office of Industry Employment Statistics – Assistant Commissioner: Kenneth W. Robertson

Office of Current Employment Analysis – Assistant Commissioner: Julie Hatch Maxfield

Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections – Assistant Commissioner: 

Rebecca L. Rust

Employment Research and Program Development Staff – Senior Research Economist: Mark A.

Loewenstein

Office of Prices and Living Conditions

Associate Commissioner – David M. Friedman

Division of Consumer Prices and Price Indexes – Assistant Commissioner: W. John Layng

Division of Industrial Prices and Price Indexes – Assistant Commissioner: Jeff Hill

Division of International Prices – Assistant Commissioner: Susan E. Fleck
TAB 1: Agency Organizational Overview

11

Division of Price and Index Number Research – Chief: Ralph Bradley

Office of Compensation and Working Conditions

Associate Commissioner – Kristen A. Monaco

Office of Safety, Healthy, and Working Conditions – Assistant Commissioner: Hilery Z. 

Simpson

Office of Compensation Levels and Trends – Assistant Commissioner: Philip M. Doyle

Compensation Research and Program Development – Research Economist: Nicole Nestoriak

Office of Productivity and Technology

Associate Commissioner – Lucy P. Eldridge

Office of Technology and Survey Processing

Associate Commissioner – Carol M. Mullins

Directorate of Survey Processing – Director: Rick Kryger

Directorate of Technology and Computing Services – Director: Wesley S. Chou

Office of Administration

Associate Commissioner – Nancy F. Ruiz de Gamboa

Office of Publication and Special Studies

Associate Commissioner – Michael D. Levi

Office of Survey Methods Research

Associate Commissioner – John L. Eltinge

Senior Statistician: William P. Mockovak

Senior Statistician: Polly A. Phipps

Office of Field Operations

Associate Commissioner – Jay A. Mousa

Boston/New York Regional Commissioner: Deborah A. Brown

Philadelphia Regional Commissioner: Sheila Watkins

Atlanta Regional Commissioner: Janet S. Rankin

Chicago – Assistant Commissioner: Charlene Peiffer

Dallas/Kansas City – Assistant Commissioner: Stanley Suchman

San Francisco – Assistant Commissioner: Richard J. Holden

Key Vacancies

BLS defines a key vacancy as a position classified as Senior Executive Service (EX), SeniorLevel (SL), or a Politically Appointed position that is unfilled. 

As of October 2016, BLS does not have any key vacancies. However, the BLS Commissioner’s 

term expires on January 27, 2017.

5

 5 Additional information found in the BLS Commissioner’s Term Expiration section. 
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

12

TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

Key Meetings, Decisions, and Announcements

BLS anticipates the following Key Meetings, Decisions and Announcements:

Pre – Inauguration 

By the End of November 2016

• Employment Situation release for October 2016 – scheduled for 8:30am on Nov. 4

• Consumer Price Index release for October 2016 – scheduled for 8:30am on Nov. 17 

By the End of December 2016

• Employment Situation release for November 2016 – scheduled for 8:30am on Dec. 2

• Consumer Price Index release for November 2016 – scheduled for 8:30am on Dec. 15

By the End of January 2017

• Employment Situation release for December 2016 – scheduled for 8:30am on Jan. 6 

• Consumer Price Index release for December 2016 – scheduled for 8:30am on Jan. 18

Post – Inauguration 

By end of February 2017

• BLS Commissioner’s term expiration – January 27

• Employment Situation release for January 2017 –scheduled for 8:30am on Feb. 3 

• Consumer Price Index release for January 2017 – scheduled for 8:30am on Feb. 15 

By end of March 2017 

• Employment Situation release for February 2017 – scheduled for 8:30am on Mar. 10 

• Consumer Price Index release for February 2017 – scheduled for 8:30am on Mar. 15

By end of April 2017

• Employment Situation release for March 2017 – scheduled for 8:30am on Apr. 7 

• Consumer Price Index release for March 2017 – scheduled for 8:30am on Apr. 14 

The Employment Situation Release

The Employment Situation release is derived from two separate monthly surveys. The Current 

Employment Statistics survey provides employment, hours, and earnings estimates based on 

payroll records of employers. The Current Population Survey queries households to obtain a 

comprehensive body of information on the employment and unemployment experience of the 

nation’s population, classified by age, sex, race, and a variety of other characteristics. Included 

in the Employment Situation release are six alternative measures of labor underutilization, 

including the headline official unemployment rate. 
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

13

The Employment Situation is closely watched by investors, economists, the Federal Reserve, and 

industry analysts, among others, to assess the strength of the labor market. As with other 

Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEIs), the report is shared with the Chairman of the 

Council of Economic Advisors late in the afternoon on the day before the release. The Secretary 

and/or Senior DOL officials also are briefed on the day of the release at 8 am, before the 8:30 am 

release. 

The Employment Situation release process includes several additional steps that are not part of 

the release process for other BLS PFEIs.

6

 Most notably, on the release date, the Joint Economic 

Committee (JEC) may request that the BLS Commissioner testify in front of the Committee. 

The Employment Situation release can be accessed here: 

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.toc.htm

Consumer Price Index (CPI) Release

The CPI is a measure of the average change in prices over time of goods and services purchased 

by households. BLS publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) the CPI for Urban Wage 

Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which covers households of wage earners and clerical 

workers that comprise approximately 28 percent of the total population and (2) the CPI for All 

Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Chained CPI for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U), which 

covers approximately 89 percent of the total population and includes, in addition to wage earners 

and clerical worker households, groups such as professional, managerial and technical workers;

the self-employed; short-term workers; the unemployed; and retirees and others not in the labor 

force. BLS also calculates, but does not publish, an experimental CPI for the elderly (CPI-E), 

which covers households whose reference person or spouse is 62 years of age or older. 

The CPI is closely watched by investors as an indication of the presence of inflation or deflation 

in the economy and is a used by the Federal Reserve System in the formulation of monetary 

policy. Additionally, Social Security benefits and public and private contracts are indexed to the 

CPI to keep pace with inflation. As with other PFEIs,

6 the report is shared with the Chairman of 

the Council of Economic Advisors late in the afternoon on the day before the release. 

The Consumer Price Index Release can be accessed here:

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.toc.htm

BLS Commissioner’s Term Expiration

Commissioner Groshen began a 4-year term in January 2013 (as described by 29 U.S. Code § 3 -

Commissioner; appointment and tenure of office; compensation); her term expires on January 

27, 2017. 

The incoming Administration will need to nominate a BLS Commissioner. Unless the current 

Commissioner is renominated by January 27, in accordance with the Federal Vacancies Reform 

 6 More information on the release process can be found in the section Additional Information on Principal Federal 

Economic Indicator (PFEI) Releases.
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

14

Act of 1998, the Deputy BLS Commissioner will act in the capacity of Commissioner until a 

Commissioner is selected and confirmed by the Senate. 

Items related to the FY 2017 Budget

This section describes potential funding and policy impacts that are included in the FY 2017 

President’s Budget; the following issues are discussed:

• Funding Flexibility Pilot

• Agency Consolidation Proposal

• BLS Impact Statement – Effects of FY 2017 Congressional Action

Funding Flexibility Pilot

In the FY 2017 President’s Budget, the Administration proposes a pilot program to provide 

funding flexibility to a number of agencies, including BLS, Census, and DOL’s Chief Evaluation 

Office. This pilot would provide BLS with expanded flexibilities to spend funds over more than 

one year in order to improve the efficiency of evaluations and statistical surveys. These 

flexibilities would allow agencies to better target evaluation and statistical funds to reflect 

changing circumstances and the dynamic nature of such projects. Specifically, the funding 

flexibility would:

• Allow funds appropriated, allocated, advanced on a reimbursable basis, or transferred to 

specific functions related to research and evaluation to be available for obligation through 

September 30, 2021. 

• Allow amounts that are unexpended at the time of completion of a contract, grant, or 

cooperative agreement to be deobligated and then reobligated in the current or subsequent 

fiscal year for research, evaluation, or statistical purposes for which the funds were made 

available.

Agency Consolidation

As part of his 2016 Budget, the President has requested that Congress revive an authority 

enabling him to submit fast-track proposals to reorganize or consolidate Federal programs and 

agencies to reduce the size of Government or cut costs. This proposal was first requested in the 

2013 President’s Budget but has not yet been enacted. The 2016 President’s Budget includes a 

variety of proposed reforms across government designed to drive efficiency and accountability, 

prevent duplication, and make government work better and smarter for the American people. 

The President’s 2016 and 2017 Budgets include proposals to consolidate Federal business and 

trade programs into a new department dedicated to promoting U.S. competitiveness, exports, and 

American businesses and jobs. The proposal would integrate the six Federal agencies that focus 

primarily on business and trade, along with other related programs. These include:

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics

• The Department of Commerce’s core business and trade functions

• The Small Business Administration

• The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

• The U.S. Trade and Development Agency

• The Department of Agriculture’s rural business programs

• The Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution 

Program
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

15

• The National Science Foundation’s statistical agency

The Budget schedules for these agencies and programs, including those for BLS, continue to 

reflect them in their current alignment, pending further action.

Impact of BLS Funding Level (Effects of FY 2017 Congressional Action)

Bureau of Labor Statistics –

FY 2017 Congressional Action 

(Dollars in thousands)

FY 2016 

Enacted

FY 2017 

Request

FY 2017 

House

FY 2017 

Senate

House/Senate 

vs. 2016 

Enacted

House/Senate 

vs. 2017 

Request

$609,000 $640,943 $609,000 $609,000 $0 -$31,943

Impact of House and Senate Bills 

• The House and Senate bills for BLS provided a total of $609 million. This level keeps 

BLS funding flat at the FY 2016 enacted funding level and is $31.9 million below the 

President’s Budget. This level represents a $24.8 million shortfall compared to the

amount needed to maintain current base programs.

• In FY 2016, BLS had a $13.1 million shortfall compared to the amount needed to 

maintain current base programs. BLS relied upon temporary spending restrictions to 

remain within the provided spending level; however, given the magnitude of the expected 

shortfall, this is not a viable approach for FY 2017. 

• Notably, over 85 percent of the Bureau’s funding is allocated to (1) National Economic 

Indicators, such as the Consumer Price Index and Employment Situation, (2) data 

required by law, and (3) data referenced in law or its use required by law. 

• As a result of the proposed markup levels, BLS will be forced to consider implementing 

multiple, permanent programmatic eliminations or reductions because across-the-board 

cuts jeopardize the quality of all BLS data, especially given the high-dollar cuts that 

would be required. 

House Report Language

• During consideration of the FY 2017 House Appropriations Bill, the Committee 

submitted an amendment requesting a report “detailing the impact to domestic labor 

markets due to changing flows in goods and services under each free trade agreement that 

entered into force with respect to the United States after December 31, 2006.” The 

amendment further requests “an analysis of the relative demand for and wages of collegeeducated workers and non-college educated workers and the relative demand for and 

wages of manufacturing workers and non-manufacturing workers.”

• The requested analysis is not a simple descriptive exercise; it is a policy evaluation. BLS 

is concerned that conducting this analysis would be inappropriate for a policy-neutral 

statistical agency. The separation of statistical information and policy analysis is a key 
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

16

tenet of the Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency and, therefore, BLS 

should not engage in policy analysis in order to maintain our independence and political 

impartiality. 

• BLS proposed to the Department of Labor that this report be reassigned elsewhere within 

the DOL in order to meet the Committee’s request.

o The Department of Labor took a similar approach with a report originally required 

of BLS as included in the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. 

o If the Department agrees with this approach, BLS will work with the 

Departmental Budget Center and the Office of Congressional and 

Intergovernmental Affairs to draft language for the Committee expressing these 

concerns and propose reassignment of the report.

o As in the past, BLS will support the data needs for this analysis to the extent of 

our ability.

BLS Priorities and Issues

BLS has the following topics that may not require action within 90 days of the Administration 

change, but of which the transition team and the incoming Secretary should be aware:

1. Re-engineering Economic Statistics

2. Data Synchronization

3. Lock-Up Room Discussion

4. Ryan-Murray Commission

5. Cybersecurity Act and Change to the BLS Confidential Information Protection and 

Security Act (CIPSEA) Pledge

6. Contingent Worker Supplement (CWS) in the Current Population Survey (CPS)

7. Survey of Employer-Provided Training (SEPT)

8. BLS Support of White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 

(WHIAAPI) 

9. Diversity Efforts

10. BLS Expanded Communication Efforts

Re-engineering Economic Statistics

For over 130 years, BLS has made innovations to processes and products to reflect changes in 

the labor market and other topics we cover, including price and productivity statistics. We have

traced the economy as it has transitioned from farms to factories to services to information hubs

and will soon have information on gig workers. We also have transformed how we collect, 

analyze, and deliver our data, with increasing use of technology to improve data accuracy, raise 

efficiency, lower respondent burden, and reach our customers better. 

BLS has its own roadmap to continually innovate and modernize. BLS re-engineering activities 

include acquiring, managing, and integrating alternative/administrative data for use in estimation 

in conjunction with traditional survey data; incorporating text analysis and web scraping 

techniques into data collection and processing activities; filling data gaps by developing new 

outputs that bring together existing data sources; and continually implementing advances in data 
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

17

collection techniques to take advantage of the large volume of available electronic data. BLS 

routinely shares information and receives input on these ongoing projects with our advisory 

committees.

As we continue to innovate, we recently have been involved in two broad external efforts to 

identify changes in the economy and ensure that economic measurement reflects such changes.

• The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) convened a group of experts in July 

2016 for a new project on Economic Measurement in the 21st Century. Topics included: 

using third-party data to improve government economic statistics; quality change and 

price measurement (with discussion led by BLS Commissioner Groshen); accounting for 

digital goods; intangibles; the sharing economy; and globalization. Following the initial 

meeting, the group commissioned a series of papers to be prepared by various statistical 

agencies; they will also be reaching out to noted academics to participate in this 

effort. The goal is to identify challenges and opportunities for improving economic 

statistics to be highlighted as part of the NBER’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2020.

• The OMB Statistical and Science Policy (SSP) branch, home of the Chief Statistician of 

the United States, contracted with CNSTAT of the National Academies of Sciences, 

Engineering, and Medicine to convene a series of meetings with federal statistical 

agencies and noted experts to consider how statistical agencies will navigate a changing 

environment “where the relevance of traditional statistics is sometimes questioned and 

policy makers are demanding faster, more flexible approaches to meet their information 

needs.” The goal of the series, begun in July 2016, is to enhance the relevance of federal 

statistics, ensure that the federal statistical system evolves to reflect changes in society 

and environment, provide the public and private sector with access to the information 

necessary to inform their decisions, and adapt information-generation approaches to take 

advantage of technological innovation.

Data Synchronization

The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) facilitates the 

exchange of certain types of business data among the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), 

BLS, and Census. Unfortunately, statutes surrounding the IRS data currently prohibit Census 

from sharing business data that originates from IRS filings with BEA and BLS. As a result, 

Census, BEA, and BLS cannot achieve the full benefits of data sharing.

 

Legislation that would allow increased collaboration between BEA, BLS, and Census to achieve 

data synchronization would have numerous benefits to BLS, the statistical community, and users 

of our data. For example:

• Ensuring that establishments on both BLS and Census business registers have the same 

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes will improve the 

consistency of data products, such as productivity measures, from BLS and Census.

• Allowing BLS to access data on units and business information that originated from IRS 

collections could improve the GDP and personal income components of the BEA national 

accounts, eliminate duplicative data collection, and potentially help fill data gaps.
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

18

Since 2002, BLS has worked off and on with Commerce, OMB, the Council of Economic 

Advisors, Treasury and other interested parties to achieve passage of data synchronization

legislation. In 2016, BLS worked again with these parties to renew efforts to encourage

Congress to consider a data synchronization legislative proposal.

Staff from OMB, Commerce, and BLS met with Senator Mark Warner’s staff and staff from the 

Joint Committee on Taxation in June 2016. Senator Warner’s office indicated that he would 

champion the legislation but first would like to find a Republican co-sponsor. OMB, Commerce, 

and BLS staff also met with Republican and Democratic Senate Finance Committee and House 

Ways and Means Committee staff members to discuss proposed legislation in July 2016. 

However, no draft legislation has been introduced to date. 

Lock-Up Room Discussion

Since the mid-1980s, the seven BLS Principal Federal Economic Indicators and ETA’s 

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims data have been made available to credentialed media 

representatives half an hour before release through the DOL lock-up facility.

7

 This is 

permitted—but not required—by OMB policy directives. The press lock-up is intended to 

facilitate rapid, accurate, and comprehensive reporting on our most important data. Such 

reporting can serve as a multiplier that complements other agency dissemination activities. 

A core principle of the federal system is that data are released to the public in a fair and orderly 

manner. There are concerns this principle may be violated. For example:

• The growth of high-speed algorithmic trading has raised concerns that the press lock-up 

facilitates unequal access to sensitive economic data; these concerns were highlighted in 

reports by the DOL’s Inspector General. 

• Data users accessing releases from BLS website can be at a disadvantage because unlike 

media organizations in the lock-up, they do not have 30 minutes before release to digest 

the data; additionally, they may be disadvantaged to the extent that internet postings lag 

behind lock-up transmissions.

Furthermore, the lockup process also raises related considerations about security and costefficiency. BLS and DOL devote significant attention and resources to safeguarding embargoed 

data from premature release during lock-ups (including a substantial technology upgrade that 

went into effect in January 2013), but that risk will persist for as long as lock-ups exist. Beyond 

these costly security measures, significant personnel and financial resources are also required to 

host each lock-up.

In the summer and fall of 2016, both BLS and ETA introduced improved, high-capacity

technologies for posting data to agency websites immediately following official release times. 

Now, DOL is positioned to provide the media, commercial entities, and the general public 

equitable and timely access to our most sensitive data. 

 7 More information about the lock-up room as it relates to PFEI releases is included in the section 

Additional Information on Principal Federal Economic Indicator (PFEI) Releases.
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

19

Ryan-Murray Commission

Representative Paul Ryan and Senator Patty Murray introduced the bipartisan “Evidence-Based 

Policymaking Commission Act” in April 2015. The bill became public law in March 2016. 

The purpose of the bill is to develop a strategy for increasing the availability and use of data in 

order to build evidence about government programs, while protecting privacy and 

confidentiality. Specifically, the bill:

• Establishes a 15-member commission to review the inventory, infrastructure, and 

protocols related to data from federal programs and tax expenditures while developing 

recommendations for increasing the availability and use of data in support of program 

evaluations.

• Directs the commission to study how best to protect the privacy rights of people who 

interact with federal agencies and ensure confidentiality

• Requires the Commission to evaluate the merits of and provide guidance for creating a 

“clearinghouse” for program and survey data.

• Authorizes several federal agencies, including BLS, to provide up to a total of 

$3 million from appropriated funds to carry out the activities of the Commission.

• Requires several agencies, including BLS, to advise and consult with the Commission.

• Stipulates that findings are due within 15 months of the time a simple majority of 8 

members is reached.

The first meeting of the Commission occurred on July 22, 2016 and was Chaired by Katharine 

Abraham (former BLS Commissioner from 1993-2001). In this meeting, members of the 

Committee were introduced and outside speakers spoke about the purpose and significance of the 

commission and provided examples of “evidence in action.” 

The law directs the Commission to issue its findings in September 2017. It is unclear what 

involvement will be required from BLS. More information on Committee progress can be found 

here: http://www.census.gov/about/adrm/data-linkage/what/policymaking.html. 

Cybersecurity Act and Change to the BLS Confidential Information Protection and 

Security Act (CIPSEA) pledge

The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 was signed into law in December 2015 as part of 

the Consolidated Appropriations Act, or Omnibus. Among other things, the Act:

• Authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deploy, operate, and maintain 

a system called EINSTEIN to detect cybersecurity risks in network traffic transiting or 

traveling to or from an agency information system.

• In carrying out the law, DHS may access information traveling to or transiting from an 

agency information system despite any other provision of law that would otherwise 

restrict or prevent DHS access to such information.

BLS collects data under the CIPSEA of 2002, which provides that the information collected can 

be used for statistical purposes only and can only be shared by BLS employees, agents and 

partner statistical agencies. Since the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015 may result in 
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

20

DHS employees or agents having access to confidential BLS data, a modification to the language 

BLS uses to explain CIPSEA and assure confidentiality to respondents must be made.

It is critical to ensure a proper balance between informing respondents of the cybersecurity 

monitoring and making assurances of confidentiality. BLS developed and conducted cognitive 

testing on language to add to the end of the current CIPSEA pledge, with the goal of ensuring

compliance with the new law while minimizing any reduction in response rates. Lower response 

rates mean higher costs and less-reliable data. 

As part of an interagency group, BLS delivered a high level summary of testing, with wording 

recommendations, to OMB in August 2016. BLS is working on the EINSTEIN technology and 

hopes to implement EINSTEIN and the new pledge by December 2016, as required by the 

Cybersecurity Enhancement Act. At that time, BLS plans to have updated information on 

BLS.gov confidentiality pages and new information and training available to all data collectors 

who interact with respondents. BLS also will continue working to add the new language to all 

survey forms, web pages, and other materials where the current CIPSEA pledge is found. 

Contingent Worker Supplement (CWS) in the Current Population Survey (CPS) 

Since 2012, BLS has requested funds for an annual supplement to the CPS. The initiative would 

capture data on contingent work and alternative work arrangements by fielding the CWS every 

other year. Funding for the initiative has not been included in the annual appropriation for BLS 

to date. The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Policy (OASP) identified a need for this data 

and is sponsoring a one-time CWS to be fielded in May 2017. 

• The objectives of the CWS to the CPS, which is jointly overseen by BLS and Census, are 

to obtain information on workers with contingent jobs (jobs that do not have an explicit 

or implicit contract for long-term employment) and information on various types of 

alternative employment arrangements. These arrangements can include working as an 

independent contractor, working on-call, and working through temporary help agencies 

and contract firms. 

• Similar supplements were conducted in February of 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2005. 

• Census will add the questions from the February 2005 CWS to the May 2017 CPS. 

These questions are designed to identify contingent workers and workers with alternative 

work arrangements, measure workers’ satisfaction with their current employment 

arrangement; measure health insurance coverage and eligibility for employer-provided 

pension plans; and measure workers’ earnings. BLS also will add four questions related 

to how the Internet and mobile apps have led to new types of work arrangements, as it 

specifically relates to tasks that are done in-person and tasks that are done entirely online 

for pay. 

BLS and OASP jointly prepared an agreement in FY 2016 that funds all Census work associated 

with fielding the CWS in May 2017, as well as BLS work in FY 2016. This agreement covers 

approximately 90 percent of costs for the CWS. Work associated with instrument testing in 

FY 2017 and the release of the supplement in FY 2018 requires additional funding. If BLS does 

not receive funding for the CWS budget initiative through the appropriations process in FY 
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

21

2017, BLS will require subsequent reimbursable agreements with external sponsors to cover the 

remaining costs of producing and releasing the CWS data.

Survey of Employer-Provided Training (SEPT)

There is substantial interest in the extent to which employers provide or sponsor formal job skills 

training for their workers. The decision to provide formal job skills training, and how much 

training to provide, is linked to choices made on the full suite of employers’ hiring practices, 

such as requiring specific credentials of new employees and hiring skilled workers through the 

use of contract employees, temporary help workers, seasonal workers, and self-employed 

workers. 

With funding from the Employment and Training Administration, BLS carried out a SEPT in 

1993 and 1995. Recently, BLS has engaged in discussions with DOL, Commerce, Congress, and 

a variety of other organizations about the potential to form a public-private partnership to 

develop and maintain a new survey. 

The following funding arrangements have allowed BLS to begin exploring steps for an updated 

SEPT:

• BLS included a request for $3,000,000 in the FY 2017 President’s Budget for first year 

activities relating to a new survey of employer-provided training.

• In FY 2016, BLS entered into a reimbursable agreement with the Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Policy (OASP) to conduct conceptual development activities for a new 

SEPT program while the FY 2017 request was under consideration. 

• In FY 2017, BLS may require a reimbursable agreement to complete conceptual 

development activities, potentially including, but not limited to, development of a draft 

questionnaire, cognitive interviews, and development of a sampling plan.

o In the event BLS receives appropriated funding in FY 2017, BLS would end any 

such reimbursable agreement or would use reimbursable funding to cover 

activities that are not funded as part of the FY 2017 budget request. 

BLS Support of White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 

(WHIAAPI)

On October 14, 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order reestablishing the White 

House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the President’s Advisory 

Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to address issues concerning the Asian 

American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

These efforts are aimed at advancing data collection, dissemination, and disaggregation among 

federal agencies, state and local partners, researchers, and policy advocates, promoting best 

practices to generate more granular data on AAPI communities. BLS supported the WHIAAPI 

initiative in numerous ways: 

• BLS disaggregated and analyzed AAPI data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). 

Using three years of pooled CPS data, BLS published a Monthly Labor Review article in 

2011 that provided extensive labor market information on seven detailed Asian groups—
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

22

Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, and Other Asians: 

http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/11/art1full.pdf. 

• BLS added a variable identifying detailed Asian group to the CPS public use microdata 

files starting in January 2013, enabling researchers and others to conduct their own 

analyses using disaggregated data. BLS added a similar variable to the American Time 

Use Survey public use microdata files in 2014.

• In 2014, BLS began publishing employment and unemployment estimates for detailed 

Asian groups in its annual report Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity. 

(The most recent report is available at http://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/race-andethnicity/2015/pdf/home.pdf.) 

• The CPS disaggregated data were used in several DOL reports on the Asian labor force, 

including a report released in October 2016: https://blog.dol.gov/2016/10/07/new-reporton-the-aapi-labor-force/

• BLS participated in the WHIAAPI Interagency Working Group Data and Research 

Subcommittee, which prepared the guide Best Practices for the Disaggregation of 

Federal Data on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: http://sites.ed.gov/aapi/files/ 

2013/03/WHIAAPI-2016-Best-Practices-for-Disaggregation-of-Federal-Data-on-AAPIs1.pdf. The group also worked to improve access to AAPI data on Data.gov. 

DOL was commended for its progress in disaggregating AAPI data in the Building the American 

Mosaic report issued by the President’s Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/american-mosaic_digital_lores_0.pdf.

Diversity Efforts

BLS strives to recruit, retain, and develop a diverse, high-performing Federal workforce that 

draws from all segments of society and values fairness, diversity, and inclusion. BLS supports 

the DOL Diversity Plan, and Nancy Ruiz de Gamboa, Associate Commissioner for the Office of 

Administration, is a representative on the DOL Diversity and Inclusion Council. 

BLS is working to become an employer of choice by achieving the following three workforce 

diversity and inclusion goals:

• Workforce Diversity - Recruit from a diverse and qualified group of potential applicants 

to secure a high performing workforce drawn from all segments of American society. 

This goal includes implementing, evaluating, and improving new and ongoing 

recruitment practices, and the use of hiring flexibilities such as Veterans Recruitment

Authority, Schedule A, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers for non-competitive 

placements.

• Workplace Inclusion - Cultivate a culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility, and 

fairness to enable individuals to contribute to their full potential and further retention. 

This goal focuses on employee engagement and development opportunities, such as:
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

23

o BLS Speed Mentoring program 

o Participation in the DOL Career Enhancement Program 

o ROAD temporary detail and assignment opportunities 

o BLS Innovation Training Seminars

• Sustainability and Accountability - Develop structures and strategies, as well as 

provide data, to equip leaders with the ability to manage a diverse workforce, be 

accountable, measure results, refine approaches on the basis of such data, and 

institutionalize a culture of inclusion. This goal focuses on assessment and action 

planning, such as the BLS Diversity Study Group established to research the state of 

diversity hiring, systemic barriers, and ways to improve the retention and promotion 

opportunities of those in protected groups in order to make recommendations for 

improvement to the BLS Human Resources Governing Board.

Beginning in FY 2010, BLS has developed and executed a diversity and inclusion plan in an 

effort to focus resources and refine our approach to recruitment and retention. Annually, BLS 

reviews prior initiatives for successes and missteps to incorporate lessons learned into the next 

year’s plan. For new hires, the overall results have been very positive. The number of minority 

(non-white) hires consistently remained above FY 2009 levels, and reached a peak in FY 2015 at 

45.3 percent. Likewise, disability and veteran hires demonstrate an improvement over FY 2009 

and a general upward trend over time. FY 2015 has been the best year for disability hires and the 

second-best year for veteran hires since FY 2009. 

BLS Expanded Communication Efforts

The overarching goal of the BLS communications strategy is to help our organization become a 

trusted and indispensable fixture in American civil discourse and highlight our data as a vital part 

of the decision-making landscape for America’s working families, employers and policymakers. 

The goal of enhanced BLS communications is to make our data products come to life by 

packaging data into topic areas; incorporating videos, data visualizations and infographics; and 

promoting priority data through regular communications with key external target audiences like 

the media, policy shapers, heavy data users and topic area advocates. 

By making our data more accessible and understandable through digital media, we will provide a 

user-friendly way for customers to view and share our information with others. BLS makes data 

more accessible, user friendly, and dynamic in the following ways:

Twitter: 

Since June 2012, BLS has operated a Twitter (https://twitter.com/BLS_gov) account that 

highlights BLS data products on the labor market and economy. The BLS Twitter has over

40,000 followers and sends over 50 Tweets a month referencing news releases and other BLS 

publications and events, such as BLS videos, featured articles, graphs, and data user events 

around the country. BLS uses Twitter proactively to promote BLS data by reaching out to 

customers and potential customers who may not know about BLS or the BLS website. 
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

24

GovDelivery: 

BLS uses an email subscription service administered through GovDelivery that allows BLS 

customers to subscribe to monthly, quarterly, and annual releases of economic data.

Videos and Motion Graphics: 

BLS created and posted multiple videos to YouTube and Facebook to increase visibility and 

understanding of our data. BLS videos can be found by searching “BLS” on the DOL YouTube 

channel found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/USDepartmentofLabor

Publications with Infographics and Data Visualization:

In addition to economic news releases, BLS utilizes various other publications and blogs in order 

to reach customers. These publications and blogs include: The Economics Daily, Monthly Labor 

Review, Beyond the Numbers, Spotlight on Statistics, Commissioner’s Corner, and Career 

Outlook among others.

BLS publications can be found here: http://www.bls.gov/opub/

In order to make these articles more user friendly and dynamic, BLS increasingly has used charts 

and maps in nearly all BLS publications. BLS is supplementing its news releases by adding 

interactive chart galleries, which give readers an intuitive overview of the new data and enable 

readers to customize the display to their liking. The two most graphically-oriented publications 

are the The Economics Daily and Spotlight on Statistics. The data visualizations included in 

these articles attract customers by making data easy to see, not just read about.
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

25

Key Agency Stakeholders
TAB 2: 30/60/90 Days – State of Play

26
TAB 3: Initiatives

27

TAB 3: Initiatives

Major Grants and Contracts

Grants

BLS operates the Current Employment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 

Occupational Employment Statistics, and Local Area Unemployment Statistics programs in 

cooperation with the states and territories. These programs compose the BLS Labor Market 

Information (LMI) Cooperative Statistical Programs. BLS also works with state partners to operate 

Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) which is comprised of the Survey of 

Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. 

For the most recent year completed, BLS awarded $70 million in LMI cooperative agreements and 

$7 million in OSHS cooperative agreements. These funds were awarded to the 50 states and 

territories in support of the BLS cooperative statistical programs. This funding is awarded on a 

Fiscal Year basis. 

Contracts

For the most recent year completed, BLS awarded $83.4 million in contracts (figures taken from 

USAspending.gov); the bulk of these contracts were to support data collection and program 

operations. This funding is awarded on an ongoing basis. BLS does not foresee any major 

concerns or problems that could arise in the first 90 days. 

Audits and Reports

Office of Inspector General (OIG) Audits completed in the last 3 years

OIG audits completed in the past 3 years can be found here: http://www.oig.dol.gov/cgibin/oa_rpts-v4.cgi?s=Bureau+of+Labor+Statistics&y=all&a=all

BLS does not anticipate any issues that would require Secretarial or Departmental Action in the 

first 90 days. 
TAB 3: Initiatives

28

Ongoing OIG audits

BLS has the following ongoing OIG audits that have yet to be finalized:

Fiscal 

Year

Audit Type Audit Title Audit Objective

2016 FISMA FY16 FISMA Audit OIG will be assessing information 

systems in accordance with FISMA. 

The scope of the audit includes the 

following areas: Risk Management, 

Configuration Management, Identity 

and Access Management, Plan of 

Action and Milestones, and 

Contingency Planning. 

2015 Discretionary Audit of the Current 

Employment and 

Current Population 

Surveys

Verifying compliance with OMB 

Standards and Guidelines for 

Statistical Surveys found here

(https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/def

ault/files/omb/inforeg/statpolicy/stand

ards_stat_surveys.pdf) 

2013 Discretionary OIG audit report 17-

14-001-03-315, 

Controls Over the 

Release of the UI 

Weekly Claims Report 

Need Improvement

To determine if allowing pre-release 

access to embargoed data may provide 

a competitive advantage to news 

organizations and/or their clients, and 

if so, whether or not the DOL lock-up 

process should be ended.

Management

IT challenges and opportunities 

IT Integration

For much of FY 2016, the BLS IT organization, the Office of Technology and Survey Processing 

(OTSP), participated in an Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) initiative to assess the 

feasibility of integrating portions of the BLS IT organization into the OCIO. The first phase of the 

initiative (known as Discovery) focused on the staff, contracts, and volume of IT hardware that are 

associated with the BLS IT infrastructure. It is important to note that BLS maintains a separate IT 

network and separate hardware platforms from the networks and hardware platforms under the 

OCIO’s purview. BLS has voiced many concerns with the outcome of the Discovery phase. The 

concerns center on the BLS technical infrastructure and the many IT initiatives underway associated 

with that technical infrastructure. Additionally, BLS raised concerns about transitioning BLS IT 

staff and BLS IT-related contracts to the OCIO without a complete understanding of challenges, 

risks, and potential impacts to the BLS mission. 

Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) Implementation

The BLS IT organization is supporting the OCIO as the FITARA is being more broadly 

implemented at DOL. Per FITARA, the head of IT at BLS, the Associate Commissioner for OTSP, 
TAB 3: Initiatives

29

is included in the DOL IT Leadership Directory. In addition, the Associate Commissioner for 

OTSP participated in the working group that established the common critical performance element 

for Agency IT heads, and that element is reflected in the OTSP Associate Commissioner’s 

performance plan. The OCIO has expanded the use of Program Review Boards (PRB), and BLS is 

supporting and participating in the expanded PRB process. BLS looks forward to working with the 

CIO and her staff to further support the implementation of FITARA at DOL in alignment with the 

supplemental guidance “Applying FITARA Common Baseline to Statistical Agencies and Units” 

issued by the Federal CIO on May 4, 2016.

Personnel and engagement recommendations for success

The following text was taken from the “Improving BLS Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey 

(FEVS) Results” document and focuses on actions taken by BLS in FY 2016 to improve career 

development, promote a better work environment, and foster innovation and growth.

The BLS FEVS can be found here: http://www.labornet.dol.gov/seccomm/abetterdol/AgencyPlans-to-Improve.htm

Facilitate Employee and Supervisor Discussions. Holding regular ongoing career development 

conversations with employees, in an open and collaborative manner, is crucial. These 

conversations build trust, show employees that we are interested in their development, and connect

individual employee developmental goals with the broader goals of the Agency. The midterm 

progress review process presents supervisors and managers with an opportunity to open the door for 

future discussions. To identify topics for these employee-supervisor discussions, BLS posted an 

Idea Mill challenge in March 2016 asking for staff input. The results of that input will be used to 

expand upon previously developed guidance provided to rating officials encouraging them to 

discuss training goals with employees, set reasonable expectations for training availability in the 

current budget environment, and offer low-cost/no-cost training alternatives and sources.

Reverse Mentoring on Technology. BLS will pilot a program that will invite staff to demonstrate 

how they use technology to accomplish their work more efficiently. In addition, BLS will reach out 

to DOL affinity groups to seek sponsors for similar sessions involving the use of technology for 

nonwork activities, such as transportation or entertainment. Sessions involving nonwork activities 

would be scheduled during lunch time or after work hours. These activities have the dual goals of 

expanding knowledge of new technology and giving junior staff opportunities to engage and build 

relationships with senior staff.

Internal Communications. BLS will manage internal communication more purposefully and will 

explore additional communication mechanisms to share information, such as small group meetings 

with senior leaders and blog postings. The goal is to increase information sharing about new 

initiatives, recent successes, BLS values, staff accomplishments, and more. As part of this effort, 

BLS will explore other options for sharing communications in more active ways, building upon the 

periodic email blasts identifying “5 things you should know.”

Internal Communications. BLS Executives will use various avenues to communicate with staff at 

least once a quarter (e.g., Town Hall meetings, Newsletters, Panel Discussions, etc.). BLS will 

pilot periodic Associate Commissioner Roundtables, where staff will be invited to a discussion with 
TAB 3: Initiatives

30

a group of associate commissioners. The roundtables may focus on specific topics or be more 

open-ended. BLS also added a new feature on the Intranet called “What’s Up @ BLS,” an internal 

communications hub where BLS can share information and learn more about the work of other BLS 

employees.

Telework. Commissioner Groshen will send an email to all supervisors and managers reiterating 

her support for expanding telework at BLS. This email will be followed by a communication from 

the Division of Human Resources and Organization Management offering support and access to 

materials designed to assist supervisors and managers in implementing telework for their 

employees.

Speed Mentoring. The BLS Division of Human Resources and Organization Management will 

provide speed-mentoring sessions aimed at addressing basic needs of employees throughout the 

organization. Speed mentoring is a succession of time-controlled, short sessions where mentees 

and mentors share information on predetermined topics. This type of mentoring typically occurs 

between several mentees and one or two mentors at several different rotating stations. This program 

will include virtual mentoring events to BLS regional office employees.

Training Needs Assessment. BLS will conduct a training needs assessment survey for all 

employees, identifying skills gaps and areas to focus future training opportunities.

Facilitation Training. BLS will pilot a program of short training sessions for volunteers who would 

like to provide facilitation services to teams.

BLS Innovation Training Series. BLS will continue to develop and support The BLS Innovation 

Training Series. Designed for BLS employees across all occupations and grades, these training 

events present an opportunity for BLS employees to share their knowledge, innovations, and best 

practices across the agency, focusing on all disciplines including economics, statistics, and 

information technology, as well as cross-discipline topics.

This formal training program will be executed by BLS experts who will prepare and deliver the 

training. It will consist of periodic sessions on topics with broad application across BLS programs 

and offices, such as data visualization, seasonal adjustment, use of new software, and more. 

Additional topics on innovation geared towards enhancing BLS staff understanding of innovation 

concepts and experiences may be covered. 

Training opportunities will be announced through the BLS Intranet and email announcements, and 

supervisors will be encouraged to reach out to staff and identify candidates for training. Interested 

staff will register through LearningLink, so that the training will be formally recorded in their 

training history. Each session will include a formal evaluation, designed to improve course 

offerings in the future.

All BLS staff will be eligible for these classes, space permitting, and some classes will be made 

available remotely to allow regional office staff to participate.

Innovation and Technology Fair. BLS will host the Technology and Innovation Fair with an 

emphasis on innovation, both technology and non-technology driven. 
TAB 3: Initiatives

31

Innovation Sabbatical. BLS will hold an innovation competition. The winner of the competition 

will receive a 120-day ROAD opportunity to develop and/or implement their proposed idea or 

suggestion. 

Recognition for Innovation and Creativity in Performance Plans. The BLS Division of Human 

Resources and Organization Management will conduct a presentation on closing out performance 

plans at an upcoming meeting for all managers and supervisors. During this presentation, special 

emphasis will be placed on reminding managers that they should recognize employee creativity and 

innovation in performance appraisal write-ups under the appropriate result.

Calendar

Scheduled Releases 

Below are the seven Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEIs) that BLS will release from 

October 2016 to March 2017 (6 months): 

• The Employment Situation: October 7, November 4, December 2, January 6, February 3, 

March 10

• Producer Price Indexes: October 14, November 16, December 14, January 13, February 14, 

March 14

• Consumer Price Index: October 18, November 17, December 15, January 18, February 15, 

March 15

• Real Earnings: October 18, November 17, December 15, January 18, February 15, March 15

• Productivity and Costs: November 3, December 6, February 2, March 8

• Employment Cost Index: October 28, January 31

• U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes: October 13, November 15, December 13, January 12, 

February 10, March 9

More information on BLS release dates can be found here: http://www.bls.gov/schedule/2016/

Calendar Year (CY) 2017 PFEI release dates can be found here: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/inforeg/statpolicy/final_pei_schedule_of_releas

e_dates_2017.pdf.

Regular Convenings

• BLS Technical Advisory Committee (BLSTAC) – BLSTAC advises the BLS Commissioner 

of statistical and other technical matters related to the collection and analysis of BLS data. 

o BLSTAC expects to meet two times each year; meetings in 2017 have not been 

scheduled.

o More information can be found here: http://www.bls.gov/advisory/tac.htm 

• Data Users Advisory Committee (DUAC) – DUAC provides points of view of data users 

from various sectors of the U.S. economy on matters related to the analysis, dissemination, 
TAB 3: Initiatives

32

and use of the Bureau’s statistics, on published reports, and on data gaps or the need for new 

Bureau statistics.

o DUAC expects to meet two times each year; meetings in 2017 have not been 

scheduled.

o More information can be found here: http://www.bls.gov/advisory/duac.htm

• Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee (FESAC) – FESAC advises the Directors 

of the BEA and Census, and the BLS Commissioner on statistical methodology and other 

technical matters related to the collection, tabulation, and analysis of federal economic 

statistics. 

o FESAC expects to meet two times each year; two meetings in FY 2017 tentatively

have been scheduled for December 9, 2016 and June 9, 2017.

o More information can be found here: http://www.census.gov/fesac/

Additional Information on Principal Federal Economic Indicator (PFEI) Releases

BLS issues a range of key economic indicators. Seven of these have been designated by OMB as

PFEIs: The Employment Situation, the Consumer Price Index, the Producer Price Index, the U.S. 

Import and Export Price Index, Productivity and Costs, the Employment Cost Index, and Real 

Earnings. 

In issuing these releases, BLS follows OMB Statistical Policy Directive Number 3, which precludes 

prerelease distribution of information except under certain very restricted conditions and requires a 

1-hour separation between the issuance of releases and policy comment on them.

The processing, analyzing, reviewing, and printing of the PFEIs takes place entirely within BLS. 

Physical and computer security procedures are scrupulously followed. Please note, there are three

additional steps specific to the Employment Situation that are denoted in italics. Additionally, BLS 

has procedures in place to complete most processes off-site in the event of weather or other 

emergencies.

The release process for the PFEIs is as follows:

1. Data are collected, processed, tabulated, and analyzed. Text of the news release is prepared and 

reviewed. Text and tables are printed at BLS.

2. Step 2 is specific to the Employment Situation: Federal Reserve staff responsible for producing 

the Industrial Production Index receive employment, hours, and earnings measures for the 

manufacturing, mining, utilities and publishing industries from Current Employment Statistics 

staff on the Wednesday of The Employment Situation release week. 

3. Data are provided to the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) on behalf of the 

President for all PFEIs except the U.S. Import and Export Price Index. This takes place late in 

the afternoon on the day before the data are to be released. Senior program office staff are 

available during the evening to discuss the data by phone with the CEA. No one else outside of 

BLS is given the data until the morning of release.

4. Step 4 is specific to the Employment Situation: At 8 a.m. on the morning of release, the 

Secretary may be briefed on the data. Traditionally, the data are provided to the Chief 

Economist or another designated member of the Secretary’s staff on behalf of the Secretary. 
TAB 3: Initiatives

33

5. Other senior administration officials (the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal 

Reserve and the Secretaries of Commerce and Treasury) who have demonstrated their need to 

have the information in advance of the release also may be provided the data at 8 a.m.

6. Also at 8 a.m., media accredited by DOL’s Office of Public Affairs have access to the release 

under lock-up conditions. Reporters read the releases and prepare reports in a secure room 

monitored by BLS and DOL Public Affairs staff. Senior program office staff are available to 

discuss the releases with reporters in the lockup by phone. Transmission to the reporters’ 

organizations begins at the official release time of 8:30 a.m.

7. Data are released to the public at 8:30 a.m., via the BLS website and through Twitter. 

Technical explanations are provided by BLS staff beginning at 8:30 a.m.

8. Step 8 is specific to the Employment Situation: On the day of The Employment Situation 

release, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics may testify before the Joint Economic Committee 

(JEC) of the Congress at 9:30 a.m. When a hearing is held, which has been infrequent in recent 

years, JEC staff are provided the data at 8:00 a.m. under lock-up conditions monitored by BLS 

staff.

9. At 9:30 a.m., the Secretary of Labor and other members of the Executive Branch are permitted 

to discuss the data and their implications for policy.

PFEI release dates are announced in November for the next CY. CY 2017 PFEI release dates can 

be found here: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/inforeg/statpolicy/final_pei_schedule_of_releas

e_dates_2017.pdf. 

More information on BLS releases in CY 2016 can be found here: 

http://www.bls.gov/schedule/2016/
TAB 4: Budget

34

TAB 4: Budget

BUDGET AUTHORITY AND FTE SUMMARY

(Dollars in millions)

FY 2013

Enacted

FY 2014

Enacted

FY 2015

Enacted

FY 2016

Enacted

FY 2017

Request

Budget Authority $577.2 $592.2 $592.2 $609.0 $640.9

FTE 2,254 2,165 2,166 2,141 2,214

At-A-Glance

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the Department of Labor (DOL) is the principal 

federal statistical agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working 

conditions, and price changes in the economy. Its mission is to collect, analyze, and 

disseminate essential economic information to support the public and private decisionmaking that forms the basis of our democratic, free-enterprise system. Like all federal 

statistical agencies, the BLS executes its statistical mission with independence, serving its 

users by providing products and services that are accurate, objective, relevant, timely, and 

accessible. 

• Funds for BLS are appropriated on an annual basis. The agency is funded through the 

General Fund, the Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF), and through reimbursable agreements 

(see below for more information about BLS reimbursable authority). 

• BLS’ share of the UTF is $65.0 million as of FY 2016. BLS uses the UTF to fund 

cooperative agreements with its state partners to operate the Current Employment Statistics, 

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Occupational Employment Statistics, and 

Local Area Unemployment Statistics programs.

• BLS reimbursable authority allows the agency to, upon request, complete special statistical 

work. The amount of reimbursable funding varies from year to year based on the projects 

requested and funded. For example, in FY 2016, BLS had reimbursable agreements with 17 

different entities, 13 of which are outside of DOL. As of September 6, these agreements 

totaled $27.5 million, of which $22.8 million comes from the Social Security 

Administration (SSA) for work supporting the development of occupational data for use in 

the SSA's disability programs. 

Budget and FTE Trends

• From FY 2009 to FY 2016 there was a substantial gap between requested levels and enacted 

funding. In FY 2011, for example, BLS requested $645.4 million but only received $610.2 

million, a difference of $35.2 million. Compared to FY 2009, enacted funding in FY 2016 

grew by only 2 percent. 

• In FY 2010, BLS transferred $2.7 million to the Employee Benefit Security Administration 

(EBSA) to support the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Due to the delayed 

enactment of the FY 2010 full-year appropriation, a one-time savings was made available

from BLS’ green jobs initiative, as well as from contractual services, and this was used to 

fund the transfer. 
TAB 4: Budget

35

• In FY 2013, BLS’s budget was reduced by $30.6 million (including reductions within the 

UTF) due to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended 

(commonly referred to as sequestration) as well as a 0.2 percent rescission that amounted to 

an additional reduction of $1.2 million (included in the reductions were reductions to the 

UTF). In order to operate with the funding level, BLS eliminated the Measuring Green 

Jobs products, and the Mass Layoff Statistics and International Labor Comparisons 

program, as well as implemented operational measures to freeze hiring and curtail spending. 

• The agency reached pre-sequestration nominal (i.e., not adjusted for inflation) funding 

levels in FY 2016. The $16.8 million increase in FY 2016 only partially restored funds for 

inflationary costs that were not provided in appropriations in FY 2014 and FY 2015. The 

BLS appropriation did not provide funding for budget initiatives included in the FY 2016 

President’s Budget, including proposals to add an annual Current Population Survey 

supplement, expand Job Openings and Labor Turnover data, and support a supplemental 

statistical poverty measure.

• The FY 2017 President's Budget proposes $640.9 million in funding for BLS. This request 

is an increase of $31.9 million over the FY 2016 enacted level. Around $25 million of that 

increase is to fund inflationary costs, including $13 million not provided in the FY 2016 

enacted level.

• BLS has lapsed FTE each year from FY 2009 to FY 2016, however, in recent years, the 

agency has made significant strides in narrowing the gap between the authorized and 

projected FTE levels. Funding from unused personnel compensation and benefits resources 

were shifted to address other costs, avoiding significant lapses in spending. 

Upcoming Issues

• For the past few years, BLS has relied upon temporary spending restrictions to remain 

within the provided spending level each fiscal year; however, continuation of such 

restrictions poses severe risks to BLS operations. These risks include collecting data of 

lower quality, delaying research designed to incorporate alternative data sources into BLS 

estimates, and missing release deadlines for key economic indicators. In the event that BLS 

faces a shortfall in FY 2017, the agency has stated that it will be forced to consider 

implementing multiple permanent programmatic eliminations or reductions. 

• In addition, it should be noted that BLS’ FY 2016 appropriation is $62.6 million below its 

FY 2009 appropriation adjusted for inflation. 

• BLS has notified the Departmental Budget Center it will face a $25 million shortfall at the 

FY 2018 Current Services level, which assumes a full-year Continuing Resolution for FY 

2017 at $609.0 million, plus funding for FY 2018 built-in increases. The FY 2018 shortfall 

comprises just over $13 million that is included in the FY 2017 President’s Budget to 

restore funding not provided in FY 2016 plus $12 million in FY 2017 built-ins that would 

carry over into FY 2018.

Staff Contacts

Todd Zimmerman, Agency Budget Officer

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Zimmerman.Todd@bls.gov

202-691-7943
TAB 4: Budget

36

FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017

PB

Request $592.8 $611.6 $645.4 $647.0 $618.2 $613.8 $610.1 $632.7 $640.9

Enacted $597.2 $611.4 $610.2 $609.1 $577.2 $592.2 $592.2 $609.0

$540

$560

$580

$600

$620

$640

$660

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Request vs. Enacted, FY 2009-FY 2016

(Dollars in millions)

FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016

Enacted $597.2 $611.4 $610.2 $609.1 $577.2 $592.2 $592.2 $609.0

Inflation Adjusted $597.2 $607.0 $626.2 $639.1 $648.5 $659.0 $659.8 $659.8

$520

$540

$560

$580

$600

$620

$640

$660

$680

Bureau of Labor Stastics

FY 2009 Inflation Adjusted BA vs. FY 2009-FY 2016 Enacted BA

(Dollars in millions)
TAB 4: Budget

37

FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017

PB

Authorized 2376 2393 2338 2313 2239 2232 2234 2195 2214

Actuals 2210 2341 2313 2304 2254 2165 2166 2141

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

2,200

2,400

2,600

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Authorized FTE vs. Actuals, FY 2009-2017
TAB 5: Agency Performance

38

TAB 5: Agency Performance

The BLS conforms to the conceptual framework of the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy’s 

(ICSP) Guidelines for Reporting Performance by Statistical Agencies and the “Strengthening 

Federal Statistics” chapter of the Analytical Perspectives volume in the President’s Budget. The 

BLS measures accuracy, timeliness, relevance, 

dissemination, and mission achievement. The 

BLS reports the full cost to produce its data 

products. These six criteria are common among 

statistical agencies, because they represent 

critical aspects of a statistical program’s 

performance.

The BLS revised its performance framework in 

FY 2014, introducing cross-cutting measures on timeliness, accuracy, and relevance for the 

Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEIs). The BLS PFEI programs are Current Employment 

Statistics, Current Population Survey, Consumer Price Index, Producer Price Index (PPI), 

International Price Program, Employment Cost Index, and Major Sector Productivity. The FY 

2011-2013 results are shown for trend-comparison purposes. 

With only two exceptions over the last five years, the BLS achieved 100 percent of the underlying 

timeliness, accuracy, and relevance targets for its PFEIs. In FY 2014, the BLS reached 95 percent 

of the underlying accuracy targets for its PFEIs, missing the PPI Percentage of industry product 

line indexes published monthly target by one percentage point. In FY 2012, BLS reached 90 

percent of its underlying relevance targets for its PFEIs, missing the PPI Indexes published monthly

target due to the release of fewer indexes than planned because the 2012 North American Industry 

Classification System combined more indexes than originally projected.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015

Percentage of timeliness, accuracy, and relevance targets achieved 

for the Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEIs)

Percentage of timeliness targets achieved for the PFEIs

Percentage of accuracy targets achieved for the PFEIs

Percentage of relevance targets achieved for the PFEIs

Performance Goal BLS 5.1 – Improve the 

timeliness, accuracy, and relevance of 

information on labor market activity, 

working conditions, and price changes in the 

economy.
TAB 5: Agency Performance

39

The BLS regularly evaluates its targets in the interest of continuous improvement and undertakes 

projects aimed at improving the timeliness, accuracy, and relevance of BLS products and processes, 

including the development of new products. For example, in FY 2017, the National Compensation 

Survey will publish the inaugural Occupational Requirements Survey production estimates, and the 

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey program will publish official firm size class estimates 

pending release of experimental data in 2016.

Additionally, the BLS has worked and continues to look for ways to accelerate the timeliness of its 

data releases. For example, from 2011 to 2016, the BLS accelerated the following data releases, 

further improving timeliness:

• Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages – Accelerated data release by 3 weeks 

(accelerated by 2 weeks in 2011 and 1 week in 2014). Currently, QCEW is testing a oneweek acceleration of data submittal by state partners. If successful, QCEW will accelerate 

release by an additional week within the next two years.

• Consumer Expenditure Survey – Accelerated release by nearly 1 month for the most recent 

estimates (2015 estimates released on August 30, 2016; 2011 estimates released on 

September 25, 2012).

• National Compensation Survey, data on employer health and retirement plan provisions –

Accelerated release date by 8 months (2012 estimates released in December 2013; 2014 

estimates released in April 2015).

• Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries – Plans to accelerate release of final data by 4 months 

(final 2014 data released in April 2016; final 2015 data are scheduled for release in 

December 2016).

• Labor Productivity – Accelerated release of final labor productivity measures by 2 months 

(2014 preliminary manufacturing estimates released in April 2015; 2014 final 

manufacturing estimates released in February 2016) and improved release of measures of 

services by 1 month (2014 estimates released in May 2015; 2014 final services released in 

April 2016).

• Multifactor productivity – Accelerated release of trends in private business sector 

multifactor productivity by 2 months (2013 estimates released July 2014; 2015 estimates 

released in May 2016).