Shutdown Forces Labor Department to Withhold Full October Jobs Report — Payroll Figures to Be Released With November Data

The Labor Department announced that it will not publish a complete October jobs report because a 43-day federal government shutdown prevented the agency from conducting the household survey used to calculate the unemployment rate and several other key labor-force measures.

Officials said they will still release selected October figures — most importantly the establishment survey’s payroll gains — but those employer payroll numbers will be published together with the delayed November report, now expected around Dec. 16.

The department's monthly "employment situation" release normally appears on the first Friday of each month. The shutdown disrupted field operations and data collection, delaying multiple reports. For example, the September report, which had been scheduled for Oct. 3, is being published on Thursday and will be the last full snapshot of both hiring and unemployment before Federal Reserve policymakers meet Dec. 9-10.

The jobs report combines two separate surveys: the household survey, which produces the unemployment rate and other labor-force metrics, and the establishment survey of businesses, nonprofits and government agencies, which tracks payrolls, wages and job counts. Department officials said the household survey for October could not be conducted during the shutdown and cannot be completed retroactively. By contrast, payroll data from employers could be collected after furloughs ended, allowing the department to include those figures with the November release.

Because the October household survey is missing, economists and policymakers will rely on the September numbers and the forthcoming employer payroll figures to assess labor-market momentum. The Federal Reserve is divided over whether to cut its key interest rate for a third time next month; materially weaker labor-market data could push more officials toward a rate reduction, while missing data may encourage caution and a wait-and-see approach.

Erika McEntarfer, former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, addressed concerns on social media: "No conspiracy here, folks. BLS was entirely shutdown for six weeks. Payroll data from firms can be retroactively collected for October. The household survey cannot be conducted retrospectively. This is just a straightforward consequence of having all field staff furloughed for over a month."

The Labor Department said it will publish the available October employer payroll data with the complete November report, currently expected in mid-December. Christopher Rugaber contributed to this reporting.

Correction: The story was corrected to show that the September jobs report is being released Thursday, not Friday.