Jobs Report Postponed Due to Government Shutdown

The Labor Department did not release its monthly jobs report for September because of the federal government shutdown.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said it “will not collect data, issue reports or respond to public inquiries,” during the shutdown, according to its website.

Economists had expected the jobless rate to hold at 7.3% and for employers to add 180,000 to payrolls, the largest gain in five months, Bloomberg News reported.

ADT Research Institute reported Oct. 2 that private-sector employers added 166,000 jobs in September.

An alternate date for the employment report has not been scheduled, according to the Labor Department.

If the shutdown lasts several weeks it could create difficulties in compiling the next jobs report, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Government analysts are due to start the next survey of households in mid-October. If federal employees are out past Oct. 15, the survey would be conducted later than normal, possibly delaying the report and skewing the data, according to WSJ.