Bill Summary
The "Better Labor Statistics Act" (BLS Act) aims to enhance the responsibilities and reporting practices of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) under the Department of Labor. It mandates that the Secretary of Labor must actively collate and publicly report labor statistics online every month, rather than just having the option to do so. Additionally, the Act requires the inclusion of disaggregated unemployment data based on demographics such as geography, race, ethnicity, and gender to provide a clearer understanding of labor market conditions across different groups.
The legislation also modernizes terminology and reporting frequency in existing laws, ensuring that statistics are reported in a consistent and accessible manner. Overall, the BLS Act is designed to improve transparency and relevance of labor statistics, allowing for better-informed policy decisions and public understanding of labor dynamics in the U.S.
Possible Impacts
The "Better Labor Statistics Act" (BLS Act) can have several impacts on individuals and communities. Here are three examples:
1. **Enhanced Employment Insights**: By mandating the Secretary of Labor to publicly report unemployment data disaggregated by demographics such as geography, race, ethnicity, and gender, the legislation enables policymakers, researchers, and the public to gain a clearer understanding of labor market disparities. This data can help identify which groups are disproportionately affected by unemployment, allowing for targeted interventions and support programs to assist those in need.
2. **Informed Job Seekers**: The modernization of labor statistics reporting will provide job seekers with more accurate and timely information about labor market conditions. For example, individuals may access data on unemployment rates in their geographic area or within specific demographic categories. This information can guide their job search strategies, helping them identify industries or regions with better employment opportunities, ultimately leading to more effective job matching.
3. **Policy Development and Advocacy**: The inclusion of detailed demographic data in labor reports can empower advocacy groups and community organizations to push for policies that address systemic inequalities in the workforce. With concrete data illustrating the challenges faced by specific demographic groups, these organizations can advocate for initiatives such as job training programs, anti-discrimination policies, or economic development efforts aimed at improving employment outcomes for marginalized populations.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7804 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7804
To direct the Secretary of Labor to perform additional duties, to
modernize certain laws regarding the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 4, 2026
Ms. Pressley (for herself and Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Labor to perform additional duties, to
modernize certain laws regarding the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Better Labor Statistics Act'' or the
``BLS Act''.
SEC. 2. MODERNIZING DUTIES AND TERMS RELATING TO THE BUREAU OF LABOR
STATISTICS.
(a) Additional Duties.--
(1) Labor statistics.--Section 4 of the Act of March 4,
1913, titled ``An Act to create a Department of Labor'' (29
U.S.C. 2; Chap. 141), is amended--
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ``Secretary
of Labor may collate'' and inserting ``Secretary of
Labor shall collate''; and
(B) in the third sentence, by striking ``Such
statistics shall be reported'' and inserting ``Such
statistics shall be publicly reported, in accordance
with the first section of Public Law 94-311, online by
the first Friday of each month, including''.
(2) Demographics.--The first section of Public Law 94-311
(29 U.S.C. 8; 90 Stat. 688) following the resolving clause is
amended by striking ``unemployment data'' and all that follows
and inserting ``unemployment data relating to individual
demographics. In each labor statistics report required by
section 4 of the Act of March 4, 1913, entitled `An Act to
create a Department of Labor' (29 U.S.C. 2; Chap. 141), the
Secretary of Labor shall include, at a minimum, data
disaggregated by the demographic categories of geography, race,
ethnicity, and gender.''.
(b) Modernizing Terms.--Section 4 of the Act of March 4, 1913,
titled ``An Act to create a Department of Labor'' (29 U.S.C. 2; Chap.
141), as amended by subsection (a), is further amended--
(1) in the first sentence--
(A) by striking ``report at least once each year,
or oftener'' and inserting ``publicly report, in
accordance with the first section of Public Law 94-311,
at least once each year, or more frequently'';
(B) by striking ``provided for his department'' and
inserting ``provided for the Department of Labor''; and
(C) by striking ``such manner as to him'' and
inserting ``such manner as the Secretary''; and
(2) in the last sentence, by striking ``such manner as he
may deem satisfactory'' and inserting ``such manner as the
Secretary may deem satisfactory''.
(c) Heading.--The Law Revision Counsel is directed to, where the
first section of Public Law 94-311 (29 U.S.C. 8; 90 Stat. 688), as
amended by subsection (a)(2), is displayed in the United States Code,
designate the heading of such section as ``Unemployment data relating
to individual demographics''.
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