Federal Data Users

I've been wondering if the race and ethnicity data standards in SPD 15 will be implemented or if their implementation could be scuttled.  Beth Jarosz's post titled "American Community Survey Updates" shared info from the May 2025 ACS Data Users Conference that the SPD 15 race/ethnicity standards are still on track to be implemented in the ACS. Thank you, Beth, for that important info.

That was a relief. Yet, it seems almost too good to be true given all of the other issues and uncertainty dogging us folks who rely on federal statistics to understand and serve our communities. Is it reasonably safe now to set aside worries that SPD 15 implementation could be scuttled? Do others on this forum share similar lingering concerns about the fate of SPD 15? Thanks in advance for any info, advice, or just plain commiseration.

(Context: Here at the City of Seattle we're revising our own guidelines for collecting race and ethnicity--on City surveys, program intake forms, and the like. Having some certainty about categories the Census Bureau will be using would be super helpful.  Ideally, we'd like our data collection standards to be consistent enough with the Bureau's to enable us to use the ACS to help gauge the reach of our own surveys and programs.)

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Diana Canzoneri
Demographer
City of Seattle Office of Planning & Community Development
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Thank you for asking. You're not alone in wondering.

At this morning's COPAF's meeting, someone in the audience asked statistical agency leaders for an update on this topic. Census Bureau leadership reiterated that SPD15 implementation is still moving forward. They way I interpreted the response is that there's always a possibility that things can change, but there aren't signals right now that suggest a change in course. (Seems like good news?)

That said...

This week OPM also issued new guidelines for hiring that include the following quotes:
• Do not use statistics on race, sex, ethnicity or national origin, or the broader concept of "underrepresentation" of certain groups, in any hiring, recruiting, retention or promotion decisions, or in the design or implementation of any technical or alternative assessments;
• Cease disseminating information regarding the composition of the agency's workforce based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin;

(You can read the new guidance in full here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/latest-memos/merit-hiring-plan/

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) 

So it sounds like plans for SPD15 are moving ahead, but tracking and advocacy remain important.

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Beth Jarosz
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