Editing Economic Research Service (section)

==Leadership, organization, and staff==
The ERS is led by an administrator, historically a career [[Senior Executive Service]] appointee<ref name="Principles">Committee on National Statistics, ''[http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12564 Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency]'' (4th ed. 2009, eds. [[Constance F. Citro]], Margaret E. Martin & Miron L. Straf), Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. [[National Research Council (United States)|National Research Council]].</ref> that (along with NASS) reported to the [[Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics]].<ref name="Principles"/> However, in 2019, the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]], under [[U.S. Secretary of Agriculture|Agriculture Secretary]] [[Sonny Perdue]], moved to place ERS under the direct oversight of a political appointee, reporting to the chief economist under the Office of the Secretary.<ref name="Hagstrom">[https://www.thefencepost.com/news/perdues-plan-to-put-ers-under-chief-economist-move-ers-nifa-out-of-washington-area-doesnt-escape-criticism/ Perdue's plan to put ERS under chief economist, move ERS, NIFA out of Washington area doesn't escape criticism], ''Hagstrom Report'' (August 10, 2018).</ref> This restructuring prompted criticism that the ERS's historically independent and autonomous data-collection mission would be compromised by political interference.<ref name="Hagstrom"/>

The ERS is organized into the Office of the Administrator and four divisions: The Food Economics Division; the Information Services Division; the Market and Trade Economics Division; and the Resource and Rural Economics Division.<ref name="Mgmt">[http://www.ers.usda.gov/contact-us/management-directory.aspx Management Directory], Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.</ref> Each division is led by a director.<ref name="Mgmt"/>

ERS had about 510 employees in 1998,<ref name="Principles"/> 430 employees in 2009,<ref name="Principles"/> and 250 employees in 2019.<ref name="Ogrysko">Nicole Ogrysko, [https://federalnewsnetwork.com/unions/2019/05/faced-with-possible-relocation-usdas-ers-employees-vote-to-unionize/ Faced with possible relocation, USDA's ERS employees vote to unionize], [[Federal News Network]] (May 9, 2019).</ref> In 2019, in the wake of a relocation order, ERS employees voted overwhelmingly to unionize under the [[American Federation of Government Employees]], forming their own [[bargaining unit]].<ref name="Ogrysko"/><ref>Dan Nosowitz, [https://modernfarmer.com/2019/07/the-usdas-scientific-department-has-unionized-will-the-usda-care/ The USDA's Scientific Department Has Unionized. Will the USDA Care?], ''[[Modern Farmer (magazine)|Modern Farmer]]'' (July 9, 2019).</ref>