The main responsibility of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Centers for Health and Education Statistics is to collect, process, analyze, and disseminate statistical data on the economic, physical, and social characteristics of the United States. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, the federal statistical system was curtailed because of major shifts in government policies and the subsequent budget cuts. Statistics have a powerful impact on the economy, and public and private use of federal statistics include: (1) the determination of workers' and retirees' income; (2) moving from market research to affirmative action programs; (3) allocation of monies for domestic assistance programs; (4) research in many fields; and (5) comparison studies. Under the budget constraints, which meant that in the future fewer statistics would be available, federal agencies were beginning to: (1) collect information less frequently; (2) reduce the sample size, content, and/or geographic coverage; (3) extend the time between data collection and publication; (4) reduce frequency, scope, and distribution of publications; and (5) release statistics only on computer files or on microfiche. Some cutbacks are affecting the 1990 Census, and when the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a directive to reduce content and coverage, it met with unprecedented resistance from Census users. Some future consequences for statistical users include: (1) a loss of quality And usefulness of statistics, programs, and reports; (2) reduced funding for technological advancements; (3) data available through private vendors limiting accessibility; and (4) the situation where the collection burdens fall to state and local governments. (DJC)