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📂 Category: department of labor,Government Shutdown,jobs report,Labor Department
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Labor Department said Wednesday it will not release the full jobs report for October because a 43-day federal government shutdown means it can’t calculate the unemployment rate and some other key numbers.
Instead, it will release some October jobs data — most importantly the number of jobs created by employers last month — alongside the full November jobs report, which is now scheduled to be delayed by two weeks on December 16.
He watches: With the government jobs report delayed, what other data reveals about the economy
The department’s Employment Situation report is typically released on the first Friday of the month. But the government shutdown disrupted data collection and delayed the release of reports. For example, the September jobs report, which will now be released on Thursday, was originally scheduled for October 3.
The monthly jobs report consists of two parts: the household survey, which is used to determine the unemployment rate, among other things; and the “Establishments” survey of companies, nonprofits, and government agencies that is used to track job creation, wages, and other measures of labor market health.
The Labor Department said on Wednesday that the October household survey could not be conducted due to the lockdown and could not be conducted retrospectively. But it was able to collect employment numbers from employers, and those numbers will come out with the full November report.
Wednesday’s announcement means September jobs numbers are likely to come under further scrutiny on Thursday. It’s the last full measure of employment and unemployment that Fed policymakers will see before their meeting Dec. 9-10.
The Fed is sharply divided on whether to cut its key interest rate for the third time this year next month. Economists say these divisions could largely be resolved by new economic data if they show a sharp deterioration in the labor market, because that would likely encourage more officials to support lower interest rates. But the absence of data may encourage policymakers who want to wait for more evidence about where the economy is headed before cutting interest rates again.
At its last meeting in late October, several Fed officials said the central bank should proceed cautiously, given the “low availability of key economic data.”
Jobs numbers have been controversial lately. After the July jobs report was disappointing, President Donald Trump abruptly fired the official responsible for collecting the data, Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erica McIntarver.
McIntarver herself was quick to say that there was nothing suspicious about Wednesday’s announcement. “There is no conspiracy here guys,” she posted on the social media site Bluesky. “The entire Bureau of Labor Statistics has been closed for six weeks. Payroll data from businesses can be collected retrospectively for October. The household survey cannot be conducted retrospectively. This is just a direct result of all field employees being furloughed for over a month.”
AP Economic Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report.
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