October Jobs Report Delayed by Federal Shutdown
October jobs report delayed after a 43-day federal shutdown, removing the October unemployment rate and complicating the Fed's December rate deliberations.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- BLS canceled the full October Employment Situation; the October unemployment rate will not be published.
- A 43-day federal shutdown prevented collection and processing of key labor-market data.
- October payrolls will be bundled with November for a Dec. 16 combined release, narrowing data for the Fed.
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics said only October payrolls will be bundled with November data for release on December 16, 2025, after a 43-day federal government shutdown prevented collection of key labor-market information. This delay leaves the Federal Reserve without an October unemployment rate ahead of its December policy meeting.
BLS Cancels October Employment Report
On November 19, 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics canceled the full October 2025 Employment Situation Report, including the unemployment rate. The shutdown halted data collection and processing, forcing the agency to postpone the October report. The October payroll figures will be released with November’s data in a combined report scheduled for mid-December.
Federal Reserve Lacks Key Labor Data
The missing October unemployment rate removes a critical input for the Federal Reserve’s December policy meeting, complicating interest-rate decisions. The delayed September report showed the U.S. added 119,000 jobs, a subdued gain that limits officials’ ability to assess recent labor-market momentum. Policymakers and investors must wait for the combined release to update month-to-month trend analysis, wage growth signals, and other labor-market indicators. The Fed will make its December decisions without the October unemployment figure, narrowing the data available for evaluating economic conditions.
