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Spotlight on Commerce: Eloise Parker, Assistant Director for Demographic Programs, U.S. Census Bureau


Guest blog post by Eloise Parker, Assistant Director for Demographic Programs, U.S. Census Bureau

I have the good fortune to work as the Assistant Director for Demographic Programs at the Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau. Maximizing the Census Bureau’s data collection infrastructure, my team conducts household surveys throughout the decade on behalf of the Census Bureau and other federal agencies. Many of the Nation’s key statistics result from these surveys, including the monthly unemployment rate and measures of consumer spending, health, income and poverty, crime, education, housing, and others. You can turn on the news and hear stories rooted in data from these surveys on any given day.

This year in particular has been a difficult one for conducting surveys and gathering data. The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demands of the 2020 Census on agency resources have required resourcefulness and resiliency on the part of our program staff. Despite these pressures, we have continued operations without interruption and made accommodations where needed to ensure the health and safety of our field staff and the public. If there were ever a time when these data are most needed, it is now.

One of my career highlights is the agility with which the Census Bureau launched the Household Pulse Survey in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey produces data on the social and economic effects of the pandemic on American households. Recognizing that traditional federal statistics were not designed to keep pace with the dramatic social and economic changes taking place, we launched the Household Pulse Survey within 35 days. We took some risks deploying resources and methods that were still in research and development and worked with multiple agencies to determine their most urgent data needs in terms of understanding the impacts of the pandemic. The Household Pulse Survey data are disseminated in near real-time and are updated every two weeks. Data from the survey provides information on people’s experiences during the pandemic in terms of employment status, spending patterns, physical and mental health, access to health care, food security, housing security, and educational disruption. The staff at the Census Bureau are tremendously mission-driven, and the dedication and extra hours they devoted to see this through in a time of national emergency is one of the reasons I am so proud to work here.

I am marking my 20th year in government service, 13 years of which have been at the Census Bureau. Since it also is Women’s History Month, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the Census Bureau as an environment that has allowed me and so many other women to thrive and advance professionally into an executive role. Hoping to pay forward a modicum of the support and mentorship I’ve received over the years, I serve as an executive champion to the Census Bureau’s chapter of Federally Employed Women, Census Women Count.

I am excited about where the Census Bureau is going in coming years. The data landscape has shifted dramatically in the last decade. Our users need information that provides subtler insights – and they need it more quickly. Investments at the Census Bureau in technology, data science, and human capital are steadily transforming the way we produce data, while improving their utility to the public.

Affecting positive change in government takes patience and perseverance. I believe in playing the long game: there’s always a step after the step you took, and you are never really cornered even when you feel like you are. If you have a clear vision and an ability to share it with others, you will get there.

Ed. note: This post is part of the Spotlight on Commerce series highlighting the contributions of women at the Department of Commerce in honor of Women's History Month.

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