Article content continued

Data errors occasionally happen at Statistics Canada, but mistakes over the last year in some of its highest-profile surveys are throwing the agency under a spotlight like never before. In response, StatsCan promises a review of how the error occurred. But damage has already been done, say some analysts.

“That’s obviously a damaging situation, but I don’t know the particular circumstances,” Ivan Fellegi, Canada’s former chief statistician, said of the latest error. “It chips away at credibility.

“Trust is extremely important. Any time such things happen, trust is eroded. It’s unavoidable. The question is what you are doing to regain it and how effective you are in trying to regain it.”

The labour force survey, consumer price index (which measures inflation) and gross domestic product numbers are some of the most important reports the agency produces, he said.

Fellegi said the best remedy, once an error occurs, is to be transparent and professional, and report on how the problem will be fixed, which he said the agency appears to be doing.

Aug. 12 is turning out to be a bad day for Statistics Canada. This year, it was the announcement of the faulty labour force survey data; on the same day last year, the agency announced the release of some data from the voluntary National Household Survey was delayed due to errors.

Philip Cross, the former chief economic analyst at Statistics Canada and now a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said data errors aren’t new.