Moore, Hon. Geoffrey H., Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics, De- partment of Labor, accompanied by Harold Goldstein, Assistant Com- missioner for Manpower and Employment Statistics; Howard Stambler, Office of Manpower and Employment Statistics; Joseph A. Clorety, Jr., Letter to Chairman Proxmire from Hon. J. D. Hodgson, Secretary of Labor, dated March 26, 1971, regarding press briefings con- cerning the Consumer Price Index and employment figures... Full text of press release 71-190 entitled "The Employment Situa- Response to Chairman Proxmire's request to supply information on Press release 71-371 entitled "The Employment Situation: June 1971," Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, July 2, 1971__. Response to Chairman Proxmire's question regarding the compari- son between the unemployed veterans of the Vietnam war and the Changes in reported unemployment rates by counting partici- pants in Federal work relief programs as "employed," 1933-42- Moore, Hon. Geoffrey H., et al.: Press release 71-447 entitled "The Employment Situation: July 1971," Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, August 6, 1971__ 204 Tabular response to Chairman Proxmire's request to supply for the record information on changes in labor force participation by age SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD-Continued FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1971-Continued Moore, Hon. Geoffrey H., et al.-Continued Report entitled "Employment in Perspective: Summer Job Situation for Youth, 1971," by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, August 1971_ Response to Representative Brown's query regarding employment figures for married men in August 1970 and August 1971... Response to Chairman Proxmire's query regarding the sampling error for monthly estimates of the unemployment rate for the State of Illinois_ Response to Chairman Proxmire's query regarding the cost to develop monthly estimates of unemployment of a reasonable degree of reliability for a State the size of Illinois__ Page 264 275 282 282 CURRENT LABOR MARKET DEVELOPMENTS FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1971 CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., in room S-407, the Capitol Building, Hon. William Proxmire (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Senators Proxmire and Bentsen; and Representatives Reuss, Moorhead, Conable, and Blackburn. Also present: John R. Stark, executive director; James W. Knowles, director of research; Loughlin F. McHugh, senior economist; John R. Karlik, Richard F. Kaufman, and Courtenay M. Slater, economists; Lucy A. Falcone and Jerry J. Jasinowski, research economists; George D. Krumbhaar, Jr., minority counsel; and Walter B. Laessig and Leslie J. Barr, economists for the minority. OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN PROXMIRE Chairman PROXMIRE. The committee will come to order. Each month the Bureau of Labor Statistics issues its report on employment and unemployment in the United States. For years, the issuance of that report has been accompanied by a press conference at which time the Commissioner of Labor Statistics or his assistant answers questions put to him by the press on the meaning and significance of the statistics. That explanation by technical experts on employment developments has been recognized as the most effective way there is of communicating to the news media and, hence, to the general public what is the current state of the economy, and it has been done free from any political slant which could easily be applied to the facts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics over the years has built and retained its reputation for absolute impartiality, high professional competence, and a completely nonpartisan approach. The BLS has epitomized the rule that to make useful judgments we must have absolutely honest statistics. When the long-standing practice of a monthly news conference was stopped last month, I felt that a forum was needed whereby the Congress, the press, and the public could receive both the details of the employment and unemployment figures and the public, truthful and unvarnished explanation of them which has characterized the experts at the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the past. It is the purpose of this hearing to provide that forum. While those of various political persuasions outside this forum may place differing interpretations on the figures, it is my hope today that the questions we ask and the spirit in which they are asked will help perform the function which the news conference performed in the past. This forum cannot replace the press conference. But, it can help to get the information to the public. I will say now and repeat again when Mr. Moore and Mr. Goldstein arrive, that if either one of them believes that any question they are asked is in any sense a partisan political question that they will say so at the time. I urge them to do that. We hope the questions will be searching. We expect them to be nonpolitical. I would like to welcome you, Mr. Clague. I would like to say that your record as a public servant is virtually unparalleled. You served for 18 years diligently and with distinction as Commissioner of Labor Statistics under both Democratic and Republican administrations. I understand that for 1 year under a Republican administration you served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Labor. You were cited as one of the top 10 career men in the Federal Government. As I have already indicated this hearing was called because some of us here in Congress are concerned about recent actions of the administration which seem to suggest that our economic statistics may be being used for political purposes. I do not mean the statistics are being "honeyed up." I have the utmost trust in the technical Government experts. But we are worried as I said, about the elimination of the press conference in announcing price and employment statistics. So why don't you go ahead. I understand you have a statement that you would like to make. And then, unless Congressmen Conable or Blackburn would like to make a statement at this time, you may proceed. Mr. Conable. Mr. CONABLE. I have no statement to make at this time, Mr. Chairman. I would just like to congratulate you on this splendid new forum. Chairman PROXMIRE. Thank you, Mr. Conable. Mr. Clague, will you proceed? To start off, I would appreciate your comments on the general problem which is bothering us. You might wish to review for us your experience in this area. STATEMENT OF EWAN CLAGUE, FORMER COMMISSIONER, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Mr. CLAGUE. Mr. Chairman, this does seem like old times, my appearing before the Joint Economic Committee, since, as you know, I did so on many occasions when I was Commissioner of Labor Statistics. If you will spare the time to hear a little history, I would like to explain from long in the past why the Bureau of Labor Statistics is practically a unique bureau in the Federal service, why the commissionership is a unique position, and why the periodic press conferences are also quite unique. They are not common in the Federal |