U.S. Census Bureau: Addressing Data Collection Vulnerabilities

Publication

U.S. Census Bureau: Addressing Data Collection Vulnerabilities

Abstract

The Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service, and the Census, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Joint Economic Committee investigated reports made in a New York Post story by John Crudele described how a Census Bureau employee falsified responses to a survey measuring the unemployment rate. Crudele reported that the falsified data may have boosted the unemployment rate in advance of the 2012 presidential election, and that the falsification occurred with the knowledge of senior Census Bureau employees. The subcommittee reviewed thousands of documents obtained during the course of the investigation, as well as witness interviews. The report sought to ensure the Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau are taking all necessary steps to verify the collection and transmission of accurate information, identify structural and procedural weaknesses, and implement appropriate changes as needed in a timely fashion.