Economic Statistics: Status Report on the Initiative to Improve Economic Statistics

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the actions taken by federal agencies to implement the Economics Statistics Initiative (ESI), focusing on: (1) the Council of Economic Advisers' (CEA) recommendations that comprise ESI and the context of their development; (2) the agencies' ESI implementation plans and the associated budget resources requested and received for fiscal year (FY) 1990 through FY 1994; (3) ESI implementation actions through May 1994; (4) other completed or ongoing major program improvements outside of ESI; and (5) FY 1995 budget resources requested and received for economic statistical improvements and the agencies' views on what is needed to make further statistical improvements.