Data Blackout Returns As Shutdown Delays Jobs Report

Once again, a government shutdown is delaying key economic data.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will delay the release of data, including this Friday's report on job creation and unemployment, until after the current government shutdown is over, the bureau said in a statement Monday.

"Due to the partial federal government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will suspend data collection, processing, and dissemination," Emily Liddel, an associate commissioner at the bureau, said in an emailed statement. "The release will be rescheduled upon the resumption of government funding."

The delay of key economic data is one side-effect of the partial shutdown that began this Saturday. The current shutdown could end soon: A compromise measure passed in the Senate on Saturday, and the House of Representatives could vote to reopen the government as soon as Tuesday.

Although the current shutdown may be a blip compared to the record-setting 43-day closure in November and October, it is happening at a key time for economic data. The upcoming January jobs report, whenever it's released, will shed light on whether the labor market is recovering from last year's tariff-induced slump. The most recent report, from December, showed the unemployment rate falling, although employers continued to add a few jobs.

The latest disruption comes at a time when the BLS, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and other statistical agencies are still behind schedule from the fall shutdown.

Related Education

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): What It Is and How It Works

Government Shutdown: Definition, Example, Impact on Economy

The bureau was also scheduled to release its annual revisions to last year's data, which some experts expect will show that even the lackluster job-creation figures of last year were overstated by tens of thousands of jobs per month.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report and the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment reports were also delayed by the most recent shutdown.