Report: Federal statistical system needs help to meet its ‘basic mission’ in the face of upheaval

Statistical agencies have lost scores of staff under the Trump administration, threatening their ability to meet their mission, according to a new report from the American Statistical Association.

The federal statistical system is facing “unprecedented strain, uncertainty and transformation” in the face of staffing losses, funding pressures and threats to statistical integrity, according to a report from the American Statistical Association released in early December. 

“Immediate action must be taken to halt the severe decline in the federal statistical agencies’ ability to meet their basic mission,” it reads. 

Most of the 13 statistical agencies have lost from 20% to 30% of their staff since fiscal 2024, according to the report, as the Trump administration has sought to shrink the size of the federal workforce. 

One of the most extreme examples is the National Center for Education Statistics at the Department of Education, which terminated all but three employees in March ...