GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed.
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As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.
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Recommendation: The Secretary of Labor should ensure that BLS explores cost-efficient ways to evaluate the data sources currently used to produce subpopulation indexes, such as by engaging more directly with other stakeholders or seeking input from its advisory groups and other knowledgeable entities about approaches to expand data collection in a cost-efficient manner. (Recommendation 1)
Agency: Department of Labor Status: Open
Comments: The Department of Labor agreed with this recommendation and stated that it would continue to investigate improvements to subpopulation indexes.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Labor should ensure that BLS explores the use of already collected National Accounts data to produce more accurate, timely, and relevant CPIs. (Recommendation 2)
Agency: Department of Labor Status: Open
Comments: The Department of Labor (DOL) disagreed with this recommendation, stating that the National Accounts data are not a replacement for Consumer Expenditure Survey data. We agree that the National Accounts data are not a wholesale replacement for the Consumer Expenditure Survey data, but it would still be useful to examine National Accounts data as an augmenting, alternative source of data to supplement or enrich the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Such an effort could potentially lead to more accurate, timely, and relevant CPIs. Although DOL noted that the Consumer Expenditure Survey is a continuous survey and that data are received quarterly, most CPIs still rely on expenditure weights based on Consumer Expenditure Survey data that are up to 4 years out-of-date. In addition, the Consumer Expenditure Survey faces increasing costs and declining response rates. DOL said it is exploring ways to accelerate the data collection and processing time and that it periodically investigates the frequency of updating expenditure weights. This is a laudable effort that we believe warrants further action to explore additional opportunities for improvement, such as researching the extent to which there are instances or categories for which the National Accounts data could be used to produce more up-to-date expenditure weights than the Consumer Expenditure Survey.
