Wed, 10 Sep 2025

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 US watchdog launches review into economic data collection

The move follows White House criticism of the Bueau of Labor Statistics.

* The US Labor Department's internal watchdog has launched an investigation into how it gathers jobs and inflation data.
* The probe, led by the office of the Labor Department's inspector general, will examine "challenges" faced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in gathering and updating information.
* The investigation follows a revision to job figures showing growth last year was weaker than previously estimated.
* It also comes after President Donald Trump fired the head of the BLS, citing without evidence that she had rigged the job numbers to make him look bad.
* Democrats and some economists have voiced alarm over White House efforts to politicize economic data.
* The probe will examine concerns about a drop in initial response rates, which might reduce the quality of surveys.
* It is the second time the office of the inspector general has examined issues with BLS data.
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