Where Have All the Data Gone?

Perhaps the title of this post shoud be "Why are all the Data Going?". This time it's Statistics Canada's SLID that's slip, sliding away. Or more correctly, effectively it slid away last month!

Brian Ferguson kindly pointed me to this post on Miles Corac's blog, Economics for Public Policy. Read it, and weep!

I'm not going to repeat, or even summarize what Miles has to say - his post is thorough, highly informative, and a must-read. It doesn't matter what type of data you use in your empirical analysis, the departure of an item as important as the Canadian Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics is a body-blow to all of us.

I've posted previously about cut-backs at Statistics Canada. I've also posted (see the comments) about the importance of continuity in data-sets, if they're to provide us with the information we need to undertake serious applied econometric studies, and to offer proper policy advice.

The SLID is a case in point. And Miles gives other examples that will make you grind your teeth. 

When will they ever learn? Grrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!

(Oh yes - notice that I treated the word "data" as being plural!)

© 2012, David E. Giles