[lbo-talk] US workforce

[Travis Fast]

Actually it has been that way since they went on line. They have always 
charged the public for all but the most basic indicators. I get access 
to most of their data for free through my university library 
subscription. But unless your university, which are still nominally 
public institutions, subscribe they do not have free access to the data. 
Also despite the quality and "autonomy" of the data their interface is 
almost byzantine. They have made no effort to simplify access or link 
common queries over items such as productivity to their more 
esoterically labeled series. Indeed many economics grad students use US 
data because it is free, because the series are made available over a 
longer time period and it is more accessible. In terms of the on line 
interface I think the OECD is equally ranked with CANSIM in terms of 
lack of transparency. The US data interfaces just seem better designed 
to allow for less specialist users.

Travis

Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:


>--- Travis Fast <tfast at yorku.ca> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Now if only stats can would make their data publicly
>>available sans the 
>>per series fee!
>>    
>>
>
>
>I know, it is annoying and they just introduced that
>only recently, no?  I also understand that they do not
>have to do it to earn their upkeep, as they are more
>than adequately funded.  Damn "neo-liberal" practices.
>
>Wojtek
>
>
>
>		
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