Dreier, Boehner Applaud BLS Review of Jobs Surveys

February 14, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-CA), C WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas,CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, and House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) announced today the release of a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report that was prompted by a call they made together for BLS to review and modify its jobs surveys. Early in the 109th Congress, Dreier and Boehner, then-Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced H. Res 14, which cited the changing nature of job creation in the 21st century economy and directed BLS to update its jobs surveys in order to reflect these changes. In response to the issues addressed in the resolution, BLS tasked its Federal Economics Statistics Advisory Committee to conduct a review of the methodologies used in compiling the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey and the Current Population Series (CPS).

"This report highlights the inherent difficulties in measuring job creation in the modern economy using surveys that were established over sixty-five years ago," said Dreier. "Today’s small business owners, consultants and independent contractors are increasingly integral to job creation and growth in our economy. But they differ greatly from the large, long-established industrial companies that formed the base of our pre-WWII economy. As the types of jobs have changed, so have the ways in which jobs are created. We must modernize our surveys so that our 21st century economy has 21st century statistics."

"As in so many other instances, the 21st century economy has rendered the federal government’s employment surveys outdated and inadequate," said Boehner. "It’s essential that the employment data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reflect today’s economic realities, and I applaud the agency for taking a step in that direction."

Added Dreier, "I commend BLS for taking this important step to review and modify the way we measure job creation. When the Majority Leader and I introduced H. Res. 14, our intention was to begin a constructive dialogue and start a process of reform. I look forward to continuing to work with BLS and other stakeholders in ensuring that policy makers and businesses have access to the best, most accurate economic data possible."