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- Government shutdown will delay release of January jobs report (foxbusiness.com)
Government Shutdown Delays January Jobs Report, Economic Data Affected
The partial government shutdown, which commenced on Saturday morning, is set to postpone the release of the highly anticipated January jobs report. Originally slated for publication this week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced Monday that the report will be delayed until government funding is restored.
“The release will be rescheduled upon the resumption of government funding,” stated Emily Liddel, an associate commissioner at BLS. “Once funding is restored, BLS will resume normal operations and notify the public of any changes to the news release schedule on the BLS release calendar.”
Government shutdowns necessitate the furloughing of nonessential federal workers. In the case of the BLS, this directly impacts employees responsible for collecting data and compiling crucial economic reports, including the monthly jobs report.
This isn’t the first time a government shutdown has disrupted the flow of economic data. A previous shutdown, spanning 43 days from October 1 to mid-November, caused significant delays.
The September jobs report, for example, was pushed from early October to November 20. The BLS was also only able to produce a partial jobs report for October, which was ultimately released alongside the November report on December 16.
Beyond jobs data, inflation reports also felt the impact. The BLS’s consumer price index (CPI) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index experienced delays. Notably, the October CPI inflation report was canceled entirely due to the BLS’s inability to retroactively collect the necessary data.
While the BLS had recently caught up on its reporting schedule, the latest partial shutdown has once again interrupted operations. However, lawmakers are expressing optimism for a swift resolution.
The House of Representatives is currently reviewing the Senate’s compromise bill aimed at funding the government. The Rules Committee is scheduled to meet this afternoon at 4 p.m. ET to deliberate on the legislation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed hope on “Fox News Sunday” that the shutdown could conclude as early as Tuesday, which would be the earliest the House could vote on the bill. Should the House pass the funding bill, it would then proceed to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. Once enacted, federal agencies would officially reopen, and the BLS has indicated it will then provide a new release date for the January jobs report.
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- Government shutdown will delay release of January jobs report (foxbusiness.com)