BLS Error Correction Policy

At BLS we strive to get the facts right every time. We have many safeguards in place, both technological and human, to ensure the accuracy of our statistical products. Despite these safeguards, sometimes we make mistakes. When that happens, our policy is to inform the public right away and correct the errors as quickly as possible.

When errors occur in published data or our analysis of the data, BLS staff are usually the ones who discover the errors. Sometimes data users outside BLS discover errors and contact us to ask questions or point out the errors. Regardless of who discovers an error, soon after we discover it, we add a description to the BLS errata page. That page also says when the error was corrected or will be corrected in the future. In rare cases, we may decide not to correct an error if it is small and does not change analytical conclusions derived from the data, and our errata page would note that no correction will be made.

Identifying errors in our statistical products, quickly reporting them to the public, and correcting them are key steps in our commitment to transparency and quality at BLS. You can read more about error corrections in each program's Handbook of Methods chapter.

Last modified date: August 28, 2026