This document contains testimonies and prepared statements from the Congressional hearing called to examine the difficulties associated with the lack of reliable demographic data for use in planning appropriate assistance to "special populations" of older Americans, including minorities, persons with disabilities, the rural elderly,…

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes the official unemployment rate on the first Friday of each month based on a sample survey of 59,500 households called the Current Population Survey. Unemployment data for states and local areas are published monthly by the BLS in cooperation with the state employment security agencies. The primary…