Bill Beach

Bill Beach, former commissioner of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, shares his insights on the growing challenges in gathering economic data. He highlights the declining response rates to surveys, particularly along political lines, complicating the accuracy of economic indicators. Beach discusses the urgent need to modernize data collection methods and the implications of reduced funding on the quality of statistics. Join him for a fascinating exploration of how the state of data impacts our understanding of the economy.

Bill Beach, former commissioner of labor statistics, discusses the recent dramatic firing of the BLS head by Donald Trump after a disappointing jobs report. He delves into the integrity of labor data and how political actions can erode public trust. The conversation uncovers the challenges faced by the BLS in maintaining data accuracy amid budget cuts and leadership changes. Beach emphasizes the need for modernization in data collection and reflects on the long-term impact of politicizing economic indicators.