The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has decided not to proceed with plans to reduce the sample size of employment surveys
ChainCatcher News, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated in its employment report on Friday that it no longer plans to reduce the sample size of its key labor market survey, as the recently passed continuing resolution "allows BLS to use current Population Survey (CPS, also known as the household survey) funding at a faster pace."BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer first announced the plan to cut the sample size in June of this year, citing budget constraints and declining response rates that made the survey more expensive and difficult to conduct.The plan would reduce 5,000 households starting in early 2025, bringing the total down to 55,000. BLS received approximately $700 million in funding in the fiscal year that just ended in September. Advocacy group "Friends of BLS" and former White House economists recently urged lawmakers to increase funding by about $20 million for fiscal year 2025, but current proposals in the House and Senate fall far short of this request. The short-term funding bill passed in September will keep the government running until December, which includes $6 million in support for the CPS.
