Office of International Relations and Economic Research

The objectives of the seminars offered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are to strengthen the participants' ability to produce and analyze all types of labor statistics, and to demonstrate how such data can be used in policy and program development and decision making. Planners, administrators, and policy makers need timely, accurate, and relevant labor statistics in order to plan, carry out, and evaluate programs designed to improve the well-being of the population in both rural and urban areas. A strong capability to produce, analyze, and use labor statistics is necessary to provide: 1) an initial inventory of socioeconomic conditions; 2) the base against which performance and progress in the attainment of targeted social goals can be judged; and 3) an unbiased source of information that policy and decision makers can use to solve problems. Optimal use of statistics is often hampered by a lack of economists and statisticians experienced in analyzing and interpreting data in a manner best serving policymakers.