A year ago, we first reported on the sudden erasure of federal data from government websites. Since then, threats to reliable information have dramatically escalated. What began as targeted removal of data deemed “woke” by the current administration (including data about gender and race) has evolved into systematic attacks on the institutions that preserve our nation's diverse stories and collect our nation's most critical statistics. Progression from distrust to disappearance to dismantling now represents one of the most serious challenges to democratic accountability and evidence-based decision-making in modern American history.
Wait...what now?
Over the past year, threats to federal statistics have expanded beyond removing web pages. We now witness direct attacks on the people and processes generating data we depend on—and most recently, a complete shutdown of data collection itself.
In August 2025, the administration fired Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after disappointing jobs numbers were reported, accusing her without evidence of manipulating data. Former Trump-appointed BLS Commissioner William Beach called it "totally groundless," warning it "sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau."
The administration has renewed efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2030 Census—a move that research shows could misclassify more than 20 million U.S. citizens due to data-matching errors. This echoes failed 2020 attempts to exclude unauthorized immigrants from congressional apportionment for the first time in U.S. history.
The assault extends to cultural institutions. The administration's executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," initiated comprehensive review of Smithsonian Institution museums to remove "divisive or partisan narratives." Exhibits examining race's role in American society face targeting for promoting "improper ideology."
When data collection stops entirely
What we documented last year—the sudden removal of thousands of federal web pages—was alarming. On January 31, 2025, datasets went offline, including health surveys, data dashboards, and Census TIGER/Line shapefiles that researchers need for mapping. Even basic community data became inaccessible without warning.
But things grew worse. For 43 days last fall—from October 1 to November 12, 2025—the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history brought data collection and dissemination to a complete standstill.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics was completely closed. Surveys tracking unemployment, employment, wages, and inflation simply stopped. The BLS announced it would not publish its October 2025 "State and Metro Employment and Unemployment" report, affecting the Twin Cities and other metropolitan areas. The household survey providing unemployment rates wasn't conducted and won't be collected retroactively. For October 2025, there is no jobs report, no Consumer Price Index update, no reliable economic measure. That information is permanently gone, creating a void in our economic record.
The U.S. Census Bureau fared little better. With most activities suspended, demographic data collection stopped. American Community Survey follow-ups—a key source of detailed Minnesota community information that we use on Minnesota Compass—were abandoned. About 100 Census workers received layoff notices during the shutdown, particularly at call centers serving harder-to-reach communities and non-English speakers. Their loss compounds an already strained system and threatens long-term survey quality.
More than 230 groups led by the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, the American Statistical Association, and the Population Association of America called on Congress to "demand complete restoration of removed federal data" and "prevent any future purge or removal of data from federal agency websites and portals."
Efforts like DataIndex.us now monitor federal data platform changes. Locally, Minnesota Compass provides credible, accessible, community-focused data to inform civic engagement and policymaking statewide, helping Minnesotans remain data resilient.
Why does this matter for Minnesotans?
Our communities rely on these data sources for everything from health care planning to congressional representation. But the combination of intentional data removal, agency leadership purges, and complete shutdown of data collection creates unprecedented challenges for evidence-based decision-making.
Minnesota service providers are operating in the dark. Across the state, organizations rely on reliable, up-to-date data to make programmatic decisions that best serve the needs of their communities. Here are specific examples of why it matters:
- Early childhood providers planning 2026 enrollment need current demographic data to project which communities will have an increase in children, but Census surveys providing this information were suspended.
- A Twin Cities nonprofit providing workforce development to immigrant communities typically reviews monthly unemployment data to understand when service demand might increase. Without October 2025 data, they have no official benchmark for how client communities fared during fall hiring season. They can't know if rising service requests reflect broader labor market slowdown or localized factors, making it harder to justify staffing or advocate for funding.
State and local policymakers are making decisions in the dark. Minnesota's workforce agencies rely on BLS data to understand labor market trends, skill gaps, and regional employment patterns. The permanent gap in time series makes it harder to identify whether trends are temporary fluctuations or meaningful shifts. Was the Twin Cities seeing rising unemployment in the fall? We'll never know with certainty. This matters for unemployment benefit forecasting, workforce training targeting, and economic development planning.
Community organizations struggle to tell their stories and plan effectively. Minnesota nonprofits—mental health services, housing support, food assistance, youth programs—use federal data to demonstrate community need when writing grants. When data disappears or isn't collected, making the case for continued funding becomes harder.
How the federal shutdown impacted data you depend on
For those of you who work in organizations that provide services or use population data, the following table highlights examples of how your work may be impacted by missing data.
| Your work | Federal data you rely on | What's missing or uncertain | What this means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workforce & economic development (DEED programs, local EDA, workforce boards, Chambers) | BLS state & metro unemployment, payroll jobs by sector, job openings data; ACS commuting and industry data | October 2025 Twin Cities metro unemployment rate will not be published; household survey data lost permanently; jobs data may have higher revision risk | One missing month weakens evidence for "inflection points" like the onset of slowdown or sector-specific trouble. Treat October 2025 as an uncertain segment in dashboards; use quarterly/annual perspectives; avoid strong claims about changes that hinge on that month alone |
| Rural Minnesota county planning (aging demographics, out-migration, industry shifts, housing stress) | ACS detailed tables, population estimates, state/county employment data | If ACS fieldwork quality dips during shutdown and staffing shrinks afterward, small-area estimates may be noisier | Use 5-year ACS whenever possible for rural and small-subgroup analysis rather than 1-year estimates. Flag any unusual jumps/drops in 2025 1-year ACS for small geographies with a note about possible survey disruption |
| Equity & disaggregation work (race, ethnicity, Asian subgroups, intersectional analyses) | ACS microdata, CPS, Census surveys, small-area estimates for subpopulations | Data gaps or quality hits for small populations can mask real disparities; October CPS not collected | Explicitly note that shutdown-related data limitations may understate or distort disparities for smaller groups. Consider qualitative evidence and local administrative data (schools, health systems, nonprofits) to triangulate findings |
| Grant writing & program planning for services to children, families, vulnerable populations | ACS poverty and income data, population estimates, demographic trends, labor market indicators | Missing labor market data creates uncertainty about economic stress; potential decline in Census survey quality affects population projections | When writing grant narratives or program plans, include methodological caveat about 2025 data quality. Note reliance on modeled or interpolated figures where October data is missing. Use longer-term trends rather than month-to-month changes |
Why does this matter for Minnesotans?
You paid for accurate, continuous information. Census and BLS data are funded by taxpayer dollars—including yours. When agency leadership is fired for reporting accurate but unfavorable data, when populations face exclusion from Census counts, when shutdowns halt information collection, it undermines the independence and reliability that make federal statistics trustworthy.
Your representation depends on complete counts. Census data determine Minnesota's congressional seat allocation and how more than $47 billion in federal funding flows to our state. When populations are excluded, when survey operations are disrupted by shutdowns and layoffs, it distorts representation and resource allocation for all communities.
Decisions that impact Minnesota’s quality of life rely on continuous, reliable data. Minnesota Compass brings you information about quality-of-life topics that matter—poverty, income, housing affordability, health care coverage—primarily using federal data programs. When sources become politicized, disappear, or stop collecting data, it affects our ability to provide trusted information.
The shutdown creates gaps in time-series data, making it harder to understand trends over time. Comparing 2024 to 2026 employment requires acknowledging October 2025 data simply don't exist—a permanent hole in analyzing economic patterns. For anyone tracking trends—unemployment in specific Minnesota counties, income changes in immigrant communities, housing cost burden for families with children—this missing data introduces uncertainty and may obscure real changes, especially for small subpopulations or geographies.
What can you do about it?
These threats require sustained vigilance and immediate action.
Stay informed: Follow the Association of Public Data Users , Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, Minnesotans for the ACS, Funders for the Future of Public Data (sign up for their listserv), The Census Project, Hansi Lo Wang at NPR, and Minnesota Compass on LinkedIn. In addition, The Nation’s Data at Risk: 2025 Report provides agency-specific reports summarizing impacts on budget, staffing, and integrity.
Use your voice: Contact your legislators about concerns regarding politicization of federal statistical agencies, threats to Census completeness, the need to protect data collection independence, and the importance of adequate funding to prevent shutdowns that create permanent data gaps.
