Appropriations Update
The current continuing resolution to keep the federal government temporarily funded expires on February 18, 2022. Congress is likely to extend funding yet again for at least a week to buy more time to negotiate a deal.
A one-week delay would not be extremely consequential, but anything longer will threaten the Data Ingest and Collection for the Enterprise (DICE) program and delay or disrupt the implementation of the Economic Census. A funding anomaly for the Census Bureau will be necessary.
While the Biden Administration likely won’t release its Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal until sometime in March, The Census Project hopes to release our FY 2023 budget recommendation in February.
Policy Update
White House Report on Government Interference with Science
A new White House report warns that “statistical agencies, such as the Census Bureau, must protect against interference in their efforts to create and release data that provide a set of common facts to inform policymakers, researchers, and the public. (Statistical agencies may be implicated when external researchers misuse or misinterpret statistical data, but their scientific integrity policies do not extend to subsequent analyses of data they release.)” The report also uses the 2020 Census as a case example for scientific independence under threat.
Clustering of Young Children in “Problematic” Census Tracts
A new report from Count All Kids looks at “the distribution of young children living in two kinds of census tracts which are likely to be problematic” in the 2020 Census results, which it says offers “empirical evidence about what to expect when the data on young children are released for the 2020 Census.”
Confidentiality Protections in the Current Population Survey
The Census Bureau announced that it would not apply “updated confidentiality protections” to the January 2022 Current Population Survey Public Use File (CPS PUF) (due in February 2022) as it had originally planned. Thus, the data will still allow “users to conduct year-over-year time series analysis and other research activities key to understanding the U.S. economy and workforce, specifically the public-use file household identifier.”
Census Bureau News
Robert L. Santos was sworn in on January 5, 2022, as the U.S. Census Bureau’s 26th director, becoming the first Latino person to serve in the role. This appointment follows his November 4, 2021, Senate confirmation, with Santos’ term set to last for five years.
Census Bureau Data Releases
Retail sales (NAICS 44-45) for the nation increased 3.1% from $5,402.3 billion in 2019 to $5,570.4 billion in 2020, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS).
New data from Phase 7 of the Small Business Pulse Survey, which measures the effect of changing business conditions during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as other major events, were released on January 6, January 13, and January 20.
The U.S. Census Bureau released new data from phase 3.3 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey on January 19.
The Bureau released new Business Formation Statistics (BFS) for December 2021. The BFS provide timely and high frequency information on new business applications and formations in the United States.
News You Can Use
Below are several articles posted on The Census Project home page in January 2022. For a complete listing, go to: https://thecensusproject.org/recent-media/.
Maryland lawmakers OK new map for 188 General Assembly seats
Associated Press
January 27, 2022
Texas lawmakers allege 2020 Census ‘undercount’ of border, demand Bureau meeting
Border Report
January 19, 2022
Census Memo Cites ‘Unprecedented’ Meddling by Trump Administration
The New York Times
January 15, 2022
U.S. Census Shelves Planned Changes to Population Survey
Bloomberg
January 14, 2022
Officials Work to Address U.S. Census Issue for People From the Middle East and North Africa
NBC Philadelphia
January 11, 2022
Urban-rural tensions mire redistricting process
WyoFile.com
January 12, 2022
Cities With the Most Residents Who Have “Side Hustles”
KSJB
January 11, 2022
Officials: Oklahoma City’s population saw dramatic increase in last decade
KFOR
January 11, 2022
Yes, the American Community Survey from the US Census Bureau is real
THV11
January 7, 2022
‘Perfectly suited’ — San Antonio native Robert Santos becomes first Latino to lead U.S. Census Bureau
San Antonio Express-News
January 5, 2022
Challenging census results could mean more federal money for your community
NPR
January 5, 2022
Want to design NC redistricting maps? Here’s an app to draw your own political lines.
The News & Observer
January 3, 2022
The Census Project 