New measurement will complement but not replace existing statistic

The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau is preparing to develop a Supplemental Poverty Measure that will use the best new data and methodologies to obtain an improved understanding of the economic well-being of American families and of how federal policies affect those living in poverty. The initiative to create the new statistic is included in the President’s FY2011 budget proposal.

Washington, DC —A new report from the Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics Administration examines the possible effects of the 2010 Census on the U.S. economy.The report describes the complexities associated with arriving at precise estimates when considering a project of the magnitude and duration of the Decennial enumeration.

Washington, DC (Jan. 25)—The Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics Administration issued a new report for Vice President Biden’s Middle Class Task Force: Middle Class in America. The report, which identifies what it means to be middle class in America today, uses a host of measures to show that it is more difficult today to both attain and maintain a middle-class lifestyle than it was two decades ago. “This report highlights the gravity of the economic realities facing American families aspiring to a middle-class lifestyle," Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. (More) (Report—PDF)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis today released data on GDP in the third quarter.

Real GDP increased 3.5 percent at an annual rate in the third quarter, after declining in five of the preceding six quarters. The gain marked the largest quarterly advance since the third quarter of 2007. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke issued the following statement in response to the news.

Washington, DC (July 13, 2009)— The United States Senate today confirmed Dr. Robert Groves as the new director of the U.S. Census Bureau, on a strong bipartisan voice vote. Groves, a highly respected expert in the field of survey methodology, takes the helm of the agency at a critical time as it makes final preparations for the 2010 Census.