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Labor Dynamics Institute
Veteran Economist, Insider Matsumoto Wins Senate Approval as BLS Commissioner
Reuters
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, comments on the significance of Brett Matsumoto’s appointment as the bureau’s new commissioner and on current political and financial challenges facing statistical agencies.
Census Bureau Officials Field Questions About Politicization and Data Loss After Controversial Rule Change
Talking Points Memo
John Abowd, ILR emeritus professor and former chief scientist at the Census Bureau, commented that it’s not necessarily unusual for the Office of Management and Budget to be involved in policy management, in this article about required changes to how the bureau preserves participant privacy while providing data.
Rising health insurance costs may take a bite out of your paycheck
Marketplace
The cost of health insurance for employers is going up due to the introduction of new drugs, rising wages for healthcare workers, and an aging workforce says Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor, in this audio interview.
Why the Bureau of Economic Analysis is updating how it calculates inflation
Marketplace
“These measures of what inflation is are part of what the Federal Reserve looks at when it sets interest rates,” explains Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor, in this audio interview about this year’s changes to how the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates inflation.
John Abowd, professor emeritus of economics, statistics, and data science at Cornell and Lars Vilhuber, research professor and executive director of ILR’s Labor Dynamics Institute, have received the 2026 Caspar Bowden PET Award for Outstanding Research in Privacy Enhancing Technologies.
Right-Wing Groups Just Got a Big Win on the Census
Yahoo News
The political context and practical effects of a recent Commerce Department memo banning certain privacy protections used in the 2020 U.S. Census are discussed by Lars Vilhuber, executive director of ILR’s Labor Dynamics Institute, and John Abowd, ILR emeritus professor. [Syndicated from Talking Points Memo]
Trump fired the BLS chief over 'rigged' data claims. Economists say it cost the economy $20 billion
Yahoo! Finance
The U.S. economy took a $20 billion hit in response to President Trump’s firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer says a research-based analysis, which was co-written by Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner. [Syndicated from Moneywise]
SCOTUS’ Narrow Protection of the Fed Means Cook, and Fed Independence, Still at Risk
Talking Points Memo
In light of a recent Supreme Court decision, Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, comments on likely changes to employment criteria for leadership at federal agencies, such as Bureau of Labor Statistics, and how that might make those jobs less attractive.
For her transformative role in conveying the importance of high-quality federal statistics to legislators, journalists and the public, Erica Groshen, senior economics advisor, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year Award, presented by the American Statistical Association.
A Trump push to cut 'statistical noise' could mean less data from the Census Bureau
NPR
“The only confidentiality protection available is coarsening. It is guaranteed to reduce the level of detail drastically,” said John Abowd, ILR emeritus professor and former chief scientist at the Census Bureau, discussing the impact of the Trump administration’s ban of a privacy technique called “noise infusion.”
Cornell economist warns attacks on federal data could carry steep economic consequences
FingerLakes1.com
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor, co-authored a working paper revealing substantial economic damage linked to diminished trust in federal statistics; “when trust in government statistics is eroded, this is the cost of people flying blind,” said Groshen.
Bad government statistics can cost the economy billions
The Economist
Preserving trust in “the integrity and quality of official statistics” generates economic benefits of about $25 for every $1 spent on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says a working paper co-written by Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner.
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, comments on past instances of pre-release bureau data being shared and on the importance of trust to the bureau’s data collection and processing efforts.
Trump’s New Data Chief Will Face Intense Scrutiny and a Shrunken Workforce
Bloomberg
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, provides insight on the agency’s challenges and staffing constraints.
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor, analyzes the recent U.S. jobs report, noting growth in health care and construction and losses in government. Groshen also points out that changes in the tax structure for investments may influence upcoming jobs reports and comments on interest rates.
The first jobs report of 2026 is coming out Wednesday. It could be a doozy
CNN
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, explains how the bureau’s “benchmarking” process adjusts past employment data to improve its accuracy.
Trump’s BLS Pick to Contend With Leadership Vacuum, Staff Losses
Bloomberg Law
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, provides expert insight on the bureau’s staffing and leadership challenges and shares a favorable opinion of Brett Matsumoto, who was recently nominated to become the bureau’s commissioner.
No Company Has Admitted to Replacing Workers with AI in New York
Wired
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor, says New York’s effort to track AI-related layoffs is a start, but suggests that employers be required to share richer data on changing skills and occupations so workers and society can more easily navigate transitions.
Economic Experts Skeptical Trump Fed Chair Pick Will Be Free from Political Influence
Talking Points Memo
“If you had a chair who was very politically motivated and the rest of the committee was not, then you might have more turmoil within the committee than we’d normally see,” said Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor, about the chair of the Federal Reserve Board.
Experts from the ILR School met with Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson, New York State Chairs of the Committee on Labor, to discuss the current state of labor in New York.
US January employment report will be delayed because of partial government shutdown
Reuters
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, predicts that the bureau will “work very hard to make sure quality is preserved,” despite the current partial government shutdown.
Trump Plans to Nominate Brett Matsumoto to Head BLS, Report Says
MSN
“On the face of it, I’d say he’s quite a reasonable candidate,” said Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, when asked about the nomination of Brett Matsumoto to be the new commissioner of the bureau.
Trump Names ‘Data Nerd’ to Lead Labor Statistics Agency
The New York Times
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, supports the nomination of Brett Matsumoto to be the new commissioner of the bureau.
Judge approves oversight committee for remedies to Google’s internet search monopoly
Courthouse News Service
John Abowd, former ILR professor, has been appointed by a federal judge to the committee charged with administering and overseeing remedies to Google’s monopolization of internet search.
The number of long-term unemployed is growing. What does that tell us about the economy?
Marketplace
“These people have to look not necessarily for a new job, but also for a new sector and that might take time,” said ILR Professor Philipp Kircher, commenting on the long-term unemployment rate and the job market reorganization caused by the use of artificial intelligence.
Trump brushes off early posting of confidential jobs figures
AP News
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, describes penalties for early disclosure of the bureau’s jobs data and how previous breaches have been handled.
Speed Vs. Accuracy of US Jobs Data Rekindled After Shutdown
Bloomberg
“With any program that has revisions, it’s because you’re trying to balance timeliness with accuracy,” said Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor and former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, about the bureau’s approach to gathering and reporting payroll data from employers.
Wage and benefit growth only slightly better than inflation
Marketplace
Erica Groshen, ILR senior labor market advisor, and Linda Barrington, executive director of ILR’s Institute of Compensation Studies, analyze wage and benefit growth trends alongside rising health insurance costs.
