Why You Should Care About The Bureau of Labor Statistics

Photo credit - Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau was established in 1884 as a division of the Department of Labor.

Aspen Hickman, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

What does the Bureau of Labor Statistics do? Though the name Bureau sounds a bit intimidating, it’s pretty self-explanatory. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS) collects statistics about labor. Even though it isn’t as well-known as some of the other bureaus in the government, like the FBI or the Bureau of Prisons, the BLS is just as important as these larger branches. Despite the name, the Bureau doesn’t just cover labor. 

“They keep all the numbers, all the data, about employment and unemployment. Interest rates, prices, home purchases, anything that’s happening in the economy that’s generating numbers, which is everything," said Stephanie Ogle, a business and entrepreneurship teacher at Watauga High School. “We have to keep track of wages and salary, how many people are working, not working, because that helps guide us to see if the market is healthy.”

Numbers like these may seem distant, but they’re an important part of the economy in Watauga County and surrounding communities. The Bureau collects data about wages and salaries, which Ogle cites as a big issue in Watauga.

“Companies have to have salary information so they can keep up with the competition. We have a problem here in Watauga County: the salaries are not keeping up with what people can afford,”  said Ogle. “We have seen that in education. Teachers apply, they accept the job, and then they start looking for housing. And it’s like, I can’t afford to live here, so they rescind their contract. Then we don’t have people to fill those positions. It isn’t just teaching, it’s anyone who lives here.” 

The BLS helps to inform people about these issues through their data. Without it, it would be significantly harder to gauge the economy, especially in smaller communities like Watauga. Recently, there have been proposed cuts to the Bureau’s budget, as well as staffing cuts that are already in effect. In some places, the Bureau has been forced to stop collecting data because of staffing issues. 

“When I’m looking for a job, I take those things into account,” said Stephen Ardois, a senior at Watauga. “So if the Bureau is having trouble collecting those things, then that can affect me in my job searches.” 

Ogle talked about the value of the BLS’s data to companies when they’re looking to hire new employees. This information helps companies understand which laborers are available and how skilled they are. For example, if the unemployment rate is high, a company is more likely to be able to hire more skilled workers because there is a bigger pool to pull from. When the unemployment rate is low, skilled workers are more likely to be employed and unavailable for hiring. 

“Data is so important with everything because it helps businesses. It helps people plan,” said Ogle. “You can’t plan if you don’t know the numbers that are out there.”

There are a variety of reasons provided by the current Trump administration to explain these cuts, ranging from reducing national debt to the supposed inaccuracy of the data collected by the Bureau. Whatever the reason may be, many people find the BLS’s work important to their lives and careers. 

“Just because you may not agree with the numbers, it doesn’t mean that they’re bad numbers or that they’re wrong. It’s just like a doctor. They use so much information about you to make a plan for your care. They’re gathering stats. They can’t help you if they don’t know what the numbers are,” said Ogle. “Numbers don’t lie. They’re there for a reason. We can’t just make up numbers because you’re going to have ineffective decisions.”