Federal Data Users

Well, it's been another busy month! Here are some highlights from community member posts in September:

1. USDA Terminates Food Insecurity Survey: The USDA announced the termination of what it called a "redundant" food insecurity survey.
2. Census Survey Threat:  Section 605 in the FY26 appropriations bill would eliminate enforcement of mandatory Census participation and limit follow-up attempts to two, potentially leaving  two-thirds of the country "uncounted."
3. Federal Register Website Issues: The Federal Register website experienced glitches, with the "advanced search" function suddenly stopping return of precise rule counts, without any official announcement.
4. Jobs Data Revision: Data users reported on the U.S. Labor Secretary's reaction to the Department of Labor's recent downward revision to yearly jobs growth figures.
5. How Presidential Actions Have Affected Data Collection: In the first six months of the new administration, 422 information collection requests were influenced by Presidential Actions, with 36% of new or revised collections impacted.
6. BLS Consumer Expenditure Release Delayed: The Bureau of Labor Statistics delayed its Consumer Expenditure news release until October 30 due to discrepancies found after a questionnaire redesign, requiring additional data validation.
7. Agricultural Data Concerns: Data users highlighted how the loss of federal survey data will negatively impact agricultural producers and farmworker families.
8. GAO Report on Federal Statistics: The Government Accountability Office released findings from a 2024 forum identifying challenges facing the federal statistical system.
9. Government Shutdown: Data users posted information about the potential impact of a government shutdown on our access to public data.
10. ACS Online Community Shutdown: The American Community Survey Online Community, maintained by PRB in partnership with the Census Bureau for 12+ years with over 7,000 members, shut down on September 30.

Want to help protect public data? Join the upcoming webinar, Understanding the Food Security Supplement, co-hosted by: dataindex.us, Food Research & Action Center, Association of Public Data Users (APDU), and Population Reference Bureau (PRB).