Correcting the record on retail sales, improving quality across economic statistics

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Correcting the record on retail sales, improving quality across economic statistics

Under new senior leadership the ONS is urgently focusing its resources on core economic statistics as part of a wider strategic recovery plan. In this post, incoming Director General for economic social and environmental statistics James Benford says the recent postponement and correction of the retail sales figures underlines the need for the Office to prioritise and put more resources behind work to improve economic statistics and to bring more transparency on how these plans are progressing. 

Growth by numbers: an introduction to GDP

Categories: Data, Economy, ONS

Gross Domestic Product – better known as ‘GDP’ – often makes the news, but behind the headlines are stories about industries, regions and communities. In our next Bringing Data to Life webinar, taking place on Monday 8 September from 4pm to 5pm, we’ll explore what GDP is, how it’s measured, and what it can tell us about the economy.  

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More than just numbers: How ONS connects with users of population statistics

Categories: Census, Office for National Statistics, ONS, Population
A group of people next to the River Thames

Without high-quality population statistics, making good decisions on resource allocation and proper planning for public services is almost impossible.  But we know that producing statistics that are robust and reliable relies on us truly understanding the needs of people using them, and responding to those needs. Rich Pereira explains how we engage with our users to do this.

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