Private data filling the void? The trouble with private sector data

Core Viewpoint - The government shutdown has led to a reliance on private sector data to fill the gap left by the absence of government data, but there are significant limitations to this approach. Group 1: Government Data vs. Private Sector Data - Government data is considered the highest quality and serves as a benchmark for policy-making, with concerns about the reliability of private sector data due to its self-selecting nature and potential for bias [5][6][4] - Private sector data sources often aim to approximate government data, but they are not sufficient replacements, as they lack the comprehensive nature and reliability that government data provides [6][8] - The government is the only entity capable of providing a complete picture of the labor market, especially in light of historic lows in immigration, which complicates the understanding of job growth [7][4] Group 2: Current Job Market Insights - Recent private sector reports indicate soft job growth, with specific data showing a decline in job creation, such as ADP reporting a decrease of 32,000 jobs and the Conference Board employment trend index down by 0.7%, the lowest since early 2021 [6][7] - The NFIB reported a slight increase in the percentage of owners planning to hire, but this is from historically low levels, indicating a cautious outlook on job creation [6] Group 3: Limitations and Future Considerations - There is an acknowledgment that while private companies like ADP are making efforts to provide timely data, they cannot fully replace the public good that government data represents [14][6] - The potential for private sector data to improve through new data science techniques exists, but the fundamental need for government data remains critical [12][13]