Exclusive: Bipartisan senators want better data on AI job disruption
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
A bipartisan group of senators is urging the federal government to aggressively track how AI is impacting workers, per a letter shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: Lawmakers say they need quality, real-time data to understand and respond to how the technology is reshaping the workforce.
Driving the news: The senators are calling on Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and the leaders at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau to expand federal data collection efforts on AI's impact on the economy and jobs.
- Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) signed the letter.
What they're saying: "As it stands, the federal government's statistical agencies' data, research, and measurement on artificial intelligence significantly lags behind non-governmental labor market data," the letter states.
- "At a time when the U.S. workforce is approaching an inflection point due to the acceleration of artificial intelligence, adaptable and responsive federal statistical agencies are necessary in guiding labor market participants, researchers, and policymakers on how to properly respond to this moment."
Zoom in: The senators are urging agencies to add AI-focused questions to the survey that underpins the monthly jobs report and publish more public reports.
- They also say that the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) should "add questions on the occupations and wages of both new hires and workers who separate from employers and how many hires, job postings, and layoffs are directly related to the business' use of AI."
The bottom line: Lawmakers want hard data as they search for ways to respond to AI's impact on jobs.
