Commissioner's CornerAugust 7, 2009 Here is a link to my statement on the July employment situation, which I delivered before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC) today.
July 23, 2009 I want to share with you a portion of the remarks delivered by Chairman Bernanke: "Over its 125 years, the BLS has built a reputation for providing timely and accurate economic information. The close relationship that the bureau's economists and statisticians maintain with researchers--both those in government and in academia--cultivates that exemplary performance. Researchers' insights have led to better analysis and higher quality data. Moreover, the bureau is committed to undertaking the innovations and improvements necessary to ensure that its economic statistics effectively measure and provide insight into an ever-changing economy." I heartily second those convictions. Dr. Bernanke's remarks in their entirety are available on the Federal Reserve website at www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/bernanke20090626a.htm. I would like to take this opportunity to again thank Chairman Bernanke and our other special guests for their participation at this important event. Also related to the 125th Anniversary event, here are the closing comments that I prepared:
Finally, here are links to my statements on the May and June employment situation news releases. The statement for May was delivered before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC), the one for June was not as Congress was in recess for the July 4th holiday.
June 26, 2009 A Monthly Labor Review article, “BLS at 125,” by Associate Commissioner Bill Wiatrowski was posted today. In this article, Bill reviews a set of core principles that have guided BLS for one and a quarter centuries, including commitment to objectivity, fairness and impartiality; concern for respondents; and relevance to current economic and social conditions. Yesterday, an issue of BLS Spotlight on Statistics was posted in honor of the 125th anniversary. This Spotlight takes a look at a sample of prominent BLS products. You may be surprised to find out how far back some of the numbers go. For example, the Consumer Price Index extends back nearly 100 years, to the World War I era. Payroll employment statistics for the nonfarm sector date back to 1939 and show that such employment has increased by about 100 million since then.
May 8, 2009 I'd like to provide you with an update on some BLS activities that have occurred since my last posting. Below you will find a link to my testimony on the April 2009 employment situation delivered before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC) this morning: Yesterday, the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2010 was released. The 2010 President’s Budget for BLS includes funds to develop new series on “green-collar” jobs, addressing the need for detailed data on these rapidly evolving industries and occupations. Lastly, I want to draw your attention to a new paper from BLS, “Ranks of Discouraged Workers and Others Marginally Attached to the Labor Force Rise During Recession.” This paper shows how the number of persons who were marginally attached to the labor force increased sharply during the current recession.
April 3, 2009 Welcome to the Commissioner’s Corner. I am Keith Hall, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics. The Bureau, which is celebrating its 125th Anniversary this year, operates over two dozen surveys and programs that measure employment and unemployment, compensation, worker safety, productivity, and consumer and producer price movements. The BLS website provides a wealth of information on these surveys and programs, and I encourage you to visit it often. I have launched the Commissioner’s Corner to provide you with information on the many other areas in which BLS is involved such as our testimony before Congressional Committees, stories generated by media interviews, public speeches by BLS leadership, and awards and recognitions, among others. I’m also planning on occasion to draw your attention to outstanding new products on the BLS website. Below you will find links to my testimony on the March 2009 employment situation delivered before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC) on Friday, April 3, 2009, as well as my JEC testimony on the February 2009 employment data. I have also provided a link to my testimony delivered on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing on “Raising Wages and Living Standards for Families and Workers.”
Recently a reporter with The Washington Post.com spent part of a day with two of the Bureau’s economists as they compiled data for the March employment report. (Of course, the reporter was not permitted to see any of the actual March employment data on that day, because of the strict BLS standards regarding the handling of data prior to release.) If you are interested in seeing the work of BLS staff, please visit the the Federal Eye blog on the WashingtonPost.com website to find out about a day in the life of our economists. I hope you will find these pages informative and I look forward to providing you with regular updates on our activities.
Last Modified Date: August 7, 2009 |
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