Why is the November jobs report delayed?

The November jobs report was delayed due to the extensive government shutdown that disrupted data collection and processing.

What is the impact of the government shutdown on the jobs report?

The shutdown may muddle the jobs report data, making interpretation difficult, as both business and household surveys were affected.

Will the November jobs report include October data?

Yes, due to the shutdown, the November jobs report will include approximately half of the October labor market data.

Home / Business and Economy / Jobs Report Muddled by Shutdown Deluge

Jobs Report Muddled by Shutdown Deluge

16 Dec

•

Summary

Jobs report delayed due to government shutdown.
November jobs data to include October's figures.
Shutdown may muddle economic data analysis.

The November jobs report, usually released on the first Friday of December, has been delayed to mid-December due to the extended government shutdown. This unprecedented funding lapse caused a freeze in crucial economic data collection. Now, a significant volume of deferred reports, including retail sales, inflation, and the labor market, are being released this week. The upcoming jobs report is notably packaged with approximately half of October's data, creating a unique situation for analysts.

Economists forecast that the November jobs report will indicate about 40,000 jobs were added, with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.4%. Despite this projection, experts caution that the data may be unclear due to the shutdown's impact on data collection methods, particularly the household survey. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is expected to provide contextual notes in the report to explain these disruptions.

While the headline figures offer a glimpse, deeper analysis of industry-specific job gains, wage growth, labor force participation, and employment-to-population ratios will be crucial. Private sector data from ADP and weekly unemployment claims offer some insights, but the combined October and November data from the BLS, enhanced by extended collection times, is anticipated to provide a more complete, though potentially unusual, picture of the US labor market's recent performance.