Federal Data Users

Hello everyone, I've been looking forward to the Census Bureau's release of the ACS 2024 PUMS data, which is scheduled for Thursday, October 16. However, given the potential length of the shutdown, I was wondering if anyone would have insights as to whether the PUMS would be released as scheduled currently, or if a delay may be likely? I doubt we will see any news from the Census Bureau itself until the shutdown is over.

I've read in the news papers that anything having to do with the 2030 census is funded on a time line independent of annual appropriations.  I don't know if the annual ACS release schedule comes under the same or similar legislation.  I hope that they don't mess up the 2025 ACS data collection or we will be back in the 2020 situation where they only released provisionary 1 year estimates.

Dave Dorer

There is no official word on the effect on release dates, but my two cents...

1 - It is entirely possible the shutdown will still be ongoing on Oct 16.

2 - Production work on ACS has stopped (more info here and here), so even if the gov't reopens soon, a delayed release seems likely.