The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on Wednesday that it will not publish the October employment report. Instead, October’s nonfarm payroll data will be combined with November’s report. The recent government shutdown prevented the agency from collecting household survey data in time.
As a result, the unemployment rate for October will never be released. The White House had already warned that this outcome was likely.
In a statement, the BLS said that establishment survey data for October 2025 will be published together with the November 2025 figures. However, the agency noted that data from the household survey could not be collected because funding had lapsed during the shutdown. It also explained that household data cannot be gathered retroactively.
The establishment survey provides the nonfarm payroll numbers, while the household survey is used to calculate the unemployment rate and related labor statistics.
The BLS confirmed it will release the delayed September employment report on Thursday. The report had been pushed back due to the 43-day government shutdown.
The November employment report is scheduled for December 16. This release will come after the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on December 9-10.
The BLS said the collection window for November data will be extended for both surveys, and additional processing time will be added to ensure accuracy.
