Groshen Named Statistical Advocate of the Year
For her transformative role in conveying the importance of high-quality federal statistics to legislators, journalists and the public, Erica Groshen, senior economics advisor at the ILR School, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year Award, presented by the American Statistical Association (ASA).
The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of statistics through advocacy, leadership and impact.
“I am deeply honored that the ASA has named me the 2026 recipient of the Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year Award,” said Groshen. “But I am not alone. This honor also recognizes everyone who has supported official statistics by working for a stats agency, signing a letter to the Hill, submitting a comment to a Federal Register Notice, joining the Friends of BLS or another ‘friends’ group, covering federal statistics in the media, talking to journalists, writing op-eds, podcasting or doing research.
“Together we’ve made a difference, and there is much more to do.”
After a distinguished career as an economist in the Federal Reserve system, and a term as Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Groshen joined the ILR School in 2017 as a senior economics advisor. Groshen conducts labor economics research centered on labor market dynamics, wages and the role of employers in the labor market. She is a nationally recognized leader in the economics and statistics communities and has been a prominent advocate for the independence, modernization and scientific integrity of the federal statistical system.
“Erica is a valued member of the ILR School community,” said M. Diane Burton, senior associate dean for research, outreach, and external relations. “She came to academia after a successful career as a government economist and brings deep experience and expertise with the federal statistical system. She is a key advisor to faculty and students conducting labor market research and a fantastic spokesperson for the importance of social science, rigorous data collection and careful analysis. I personally appreciate her work with the Institute for Compensation Studies, where she leads our quarterly commentary on the Employer Cost Index.
“Erica is a trusted voice on topics such as wages, inflation, jobs and employment.”
Since completing her BLS term in 2017, Groshen has contributed to the work of several key organizations dedicated to supporting the federal statistical system, including the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Committee (2019-2025); the National Academy’s Committee on National Statistics (2020-present); the American Economic Association’s Committee on Economic Statistics (2019-2025); and the ASA’s Committee on Business and Economics (2022 chair).
A key aspect of Groshen’s advocacy work has been her leadership of the Friends of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which she co-chairs with her successor as BLS Commissioner, Dr. William Beach. The Friends’ highly effective, activist, bipartisan outreach has successfully reversed or mitigated several adverse events that occurred in 2024-25 surrounding the BLS.
Groshen is a past recipient of the Susan C. Eaton Outstanding Scholar‑Practitioner Award from the Labor and Employment Relations Association. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (2020), a Fellow of the National Association for Business Economics (2024) and holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and a B.S. in mathematics and economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
She will be honored at an award ceremony during the ASA’s Joint Statistical Meetings in Boston on August 4 and will be recognized this fall by the ASA Chicago Chapter.
