The U.S. Labor Department announced Friday that it will suspend publication of key economic reports—including the monthly jobs report, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and the Producer Price Index (PPI)—if Congress fails to avoid a government shutdown. The move would deprive businesses, investors, and policymakers of critical data used to gauge the economy.
According to the department’s contingency plan, nearly all Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employees would be furloughed. That means the September jobs report, scheduled for release this coming Friday, would not be published. In addition, October’s CPI and PPI reports—both essential for tracking inflation—would be delayed if the shutdown continues.
The timing could complicate decision-making for the Federal Reserve, which holds its next policy meeting at the end of October. Without the government’s most authoritative data on hiring, wages, and prices, Fed officials would be forced to consider interest rate changes with limited insight into the economy.
The Labor Department employs about 12,900 workers. Under the shutdown plan, roughly 3,100 would remain on duty, mostly in roles tied to life and property protection or funded outside annual appropriations. The plan specifies that “all program operations” at the BLS would be suspended.
Other department functions would also be curtailed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) would halt routine inspections, continuing only urgent investigations involving imminent threats. Unemployment benefits would remain available through state programs, while federally funded workers’ compensation programs not tied to annual appropriations would continue.
The JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey) report due Tuesday will still be published, but future releases would stop if the shutdown persists.
Past shutdowns have shown similar disruptions. In 2013, the September jobs report was delayed by nearly three weeks, while during the 2018–19 partial shutdown, BLS funding continued, and reports were released on schedule.
