Letter to Senate & House Appropriations Committees Regarding FY26 Funding for BLS
Dear Chairwoman Collins, Chairman Cole, Ranking Member Murray, and Ranking Member DeLauro,
We, the Friends of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), write to urge you to provide the Bureau with no less than the amount recommended by the Senate Appropriations Committee, $704 million for Fiscal Year 2026. Further, we are writing to express our concern regarding the effect the continuing federal hiring freeze is having on the Bureau.
The Senate’s allocation for FY 2026 maintains funding for the Bureau at FY 2025 levels. As you are aware, the Bureau provides key economic indicators across a variety of markets in a timely manner. The Bureau’s data releases affect the nation’s economy significantly and it is paramount that they remain accurate, timely, and relevant. Reducing the budget of the Bureau amid ever changing market conditions may prove disastrous to America’s national data needs. For these reasons, we urgently request that the Bureau receive no less than the allocation determined by the Senate for FY 2026.
In addition, we have deep concern about the current federal hiring freeze and its effect on the Bureau’s capacity to continue to produce data which our economy relies on. The Bureau has lost approximately 20% of its staff and over a third of its top leaders since February. Unfortunately, a significant number of these separations involved senior staff with deep institutional knowledge. BLS desperately needs to hire new talent to ensure that data releases remain accurate and timely. Removing the hiring freeze and allowing BLS to rebuild its workforce with talented staff would minimize any disruptions caused by the recent staff reductions.
It is critical that BLS has the funding and the staff necessary to maintain their reporting processes and deliver timely data to the American people. The economic landscape can change very quickly. Businesses and policymakers need information on the current economic climate and that requires a current, up-to-date approach to collecting and reporting data.
With your support, BLS can continue to fully support evidence-based policymaking, smart program evaluation, rewarding career choices, and confident business investment. Thank you for your dedicated interest in this critical part of our national data infrastructure and for considering our views as you prepare the final FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill.
Sincerely,