Grateful to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Daniel Goroff for supporting this important initiative—and to our fellow travelers at American Statistical Association - ASA, MITRE, Bipartisan Policy Center, and Economic Innovation Group.

I was honored to sit down with Mark Calabria, Chief Statistician of the United States, and leaders from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Bureau of Labor Statistics to talk not only about the statistical stystem we have but the one we need.

They made generational investments in the integrity and innovation of the system—often in response to grand national challenges. That legacy is now our duty.

From the founding of the Republic, the visionary architects of our economy—Madison, Gallatin, Kuznets, and others—were also builders of our statistical system.

But our analysis shows that more needs to be done (and now!) if the Untied States is to cement its leadership on AI and create durable middle-class jobs.

To its credit, the Administration's AI Action Plan includes measures to bridge classrooms and construction sites, from technical skilling to system-wide data and programs.

By 2030, the U.S. will an estimated 140,000 more electricians, HVAC techs, and welders.