What is BLS?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the U.S. government agency whose employment surveys and jobs reports are tracked as a benchmark for labor-market conditions. Recent commentary has focused on the scale of its revisions and the reliability of its underlying data.
Company timeline
- Sep 2026 - John Lee cited a 1991 study by Jeffrey Keefe drawing on three BLS surveys spanning 30 years, which found aggregate skill levels declined about 1%.
- Sep 2026 - Henrik Zeberg noted the BLS’s own 90% confidence range for a jobs figure ran from 40,000 to 280,000 jobs.
- Sep 2026 - Zeberg said job creation had fallen to roughly 50,000 per month over the prior 12 months, and to 16,000 per month after the latest revision covering April 2025 to March 2026, which he characterized as a standstill.
- Sep 2026 - Zeberg said the figures rested on a 44% response rate, the lowest on record.
Where it appears in the record
Every line below is attributed to a named speaker.
Jeffrey Keefe's 1991 study of three BLS surveys spanning 30 years found aggregate machinist skill levels declined only about 1% following NC adoption.
“One thoughtful 1991 study by Jeffrey Keefe studied three surveys done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics spanning 30 years and found that skill levels declined about 1% in aggregate.”John Lee · 10 Sep 2026
The BLS 90 percent confidence interval for a single payrolls print spanned from 40,000 to 280,000 jobs, a 240,000-job range.
“BLS's own range 90% confidence range was actually from 40,000 jobs to 280,000 jobs. That's their 90%.”Henrik Zeberg · 16 Sep 2026
The 12-month moving average of nonfarm payrolls was roughly 50,000 per month, with the most recent revision showing only 16,000 per month from April 2025 to March 2026.
“It's down around 50,000 jobs per month created over the last 12 months. And if you saw to the last revision we had, it was down to 16,000 jobs. That means from April 25 to March 26, we had 16,000 jobs per month per month. That is a standstill.”Henrik Zeberg · 16 Sep 2026
The 162,000 payroll print was based on a 44 percent survey response rate, the lowest on record, per Zeberg.
“You will see that was based on a on an response rate of 44%. Which is the lowest we have seen in you know as far back we can go.”Henrik Zeberg · 16 Sep 2026