BLS DAILY REPORT, FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1997 Looking back on the agency's recent experience, BLS Commissioner Abraham says the bureau might establish a permanent academic advisory group to study measurement issues related to the CPI ....Abraham says in an interview that she has thought for some time that the agency could benefit from an ongoing relationship with academic economists who could research specific CPI measurement issues ....If an academic advisory panel had been in place when the current debate began, it would have been beneficial to all of those scrutinizing the CPI, she suggests. "The examination of the CPI was carried out in what was obviously a highly charged environment," she said ....Public interest in the CPI debate has mounted and is reflected in the increased volume of mail to BLS on the often-technical issues, Abraham said. She said that she has been impressed with the "extent to which people seem to have a grasp of the issues" ....In the wide-ranging interview, Abraham also said that data users should realize that the new industrial classification system that is about to be implemented throughout the federal government will mean a break in historical data series for several industries ....In most cases, BLS will be able initially to provide the comparisons of the old SIC and the new system so that it will be clear where the employment shifts took place ....(Daily Labor Report, page B-1). __The number of workers filing first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits was unchanged in the week ended May 24, at a seasonally adjusted 322,000, the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration reports ....(Daily Labor Report, page D-1). __The level of applications remained in a range that analysts say reflects a strong economy ....(Washington Post, page G1). __The Wall Street Journal (page A20) says that the jobless claims figure is similar to the level prior to a one-time runup caused by automobile strikes and regional flooding .... The Conference Board announces that its help-wanted advertising index was unchanged at 88 percent of its 1987 base in April, but most regions continued to show strong hiring prospects ....(Daily Labor Report, page A-3; Wall Street Journal, page A20) The higher-than-expected revenue streams logged in 1995 and 1996 are likely to continue, buoyed by upswings in hours worked, wages, and employment, Congressional Budget Office Director June O'Neill said in an interview ....She also predicted that economic output would average 3 percent during fiscal year 1997 ....Asked about the CPI, O'Neill said the changes in calculating the index currently planned by BLS should shave about 0.24 percentage points from the CPI by 2002 ....CBO incorporated only those changes announced by BLS -- or likely to be announced by BLS -- in its baseline forecast, she noted ....(Daily Labor Report, page A-9).
