Schedule For Us Economic Data Delayed By Government Shutdown

Leo Migdal
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schedule for us economic data delayed by government shutdown

Economic data releases that have lagged during the government shutdown likely will take some time to get rolling again once Congress is back in business. The reopening could happen as soon as the end of this week once final votes take place and President Donald Trump signs a stop-gap spending bill into law. From there, though, it will take the various agencies, primarily in the departments of Labor and Commerce, to get up and rolling again as it regards data collection and releases. That means likely having to play catch-up for key reports like nonfarm payrolls, the consumer price index, retail sales, spending and income, and a variety of other metrics. "The shutdown of the federal government has delayed nearly all federal economic data releases for September and October," Goldman Sachs economists Elsie Peng and Ronnie Walker said in a client note. "While the shutdown appears to be nearing its end, it will take time for the statistical agencies to work through the backlog of releases."

Assuming the government reopens before the end of the week, Goldman figures the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics will put out an updated schedule of releases in the early part of next week. Discover the top stocks handpicked by our analysts for high-growth potential. The US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced on November 14, 2025, that it is updating its schedule for economic data releases disrupted by the prolonged 43-day government shutdown. This unprecedented federal closure delayed and impaired the collection, processing, and release of key economic statistics, undermining the quality of October’s reports. The BEA’s efforts to coordinate with partner agencies aim to facilitate a recovery in the flow of economic data essential for investors and policymakers in Washington. In an official statement, the BEA confirmed it is consulting with the U.S.

Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other data providers to assess data availability. The shutdown—the longest in US history—halted production of critical economic indicators such as the gross domestic product (GDP), personal income, consumer spending, and monthly employment and inflation figures. These statistics typically inform Federal Reserve monetary policy and market expectations. The BEA was originally scheduled to release the advance GDP report for the third quarter in October. However, economists warn that the shutdown compromised the integrity of October’s data. For instance, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett noted that the October employment report will omit the unemployment rate since household surveys were not conducted during the shutdown, creating a significant data gap.

The absence of reliable economic data for October has heightened uncertainty for financial markets and policy decision-making. Market participants rely on timely reports from the BEA to track economic momentum, consumer trends, and inflation pressures. Without full data transparency, the Federal Reserve’s ability to fine-tune interest rates is impeded. With the federal government on the verge of reopening, the economic data drought caused by the shutdown may also soon come to an end. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics prepares to release weeks of delayed reports, economists caution that the resulting flood of information won’t arrive all at once. It also may not perfectly capture what happened in the U.S.

economy during the shutdown. Because data collection was suspended at the agency, two monthly jobs reports and a release on third-quarter GDP were postponed, among others. The consumer price index, due out Nov. 13, is also expected to be delayed. Private-sector metrics have helped fill in some of the gaps, but government statistics are still viewed as the gold standard. September’s employment report is expected to be the first major release after the shutdown, as that data was already collected before it began.

The release of other key metrics on inflation and spending is expected to take longer, possibly one or two weeks, according to Morgan Stanley economists. The US government has reopened following its longest-ever shutdown, setting the stage for the eventual release of the gold-standard federal data that is crucial in analyzing the health and trajectory of the nation’s economy. Data nerds (and government officials, and Federal Reserve policymakers, and business owners, and, well, everyone else for that matter), rejoice! Starting next week, the backlog of federal data will start flowing, and the long-awaited September jobs report (originally due out October 3) will publish Thursday, November 20, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday. “It’s been like flying in fog without any instrumentation,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. However, expect some choppiness when the air starts to clear.

A key report on the job market will not be published this week as a result of the government shutdown. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption A key report on the job market will not be published on Friday, as scheduled, as a result of the government shutdown. That means businesses and policymakers will be left guessing about the strength of the labor market at a time when the U.S. economy appears to be slowing. If the shutdown drags on for more than a few days, a report on inflation scheduled for mid-October could also be delayed.

That report is part of the formula used to calculate the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that Social Security recipients receive next year. The number-crunching bureau at the Labor Department is one of many government agencies idled by the shutdown. A similar work stoppage in 2013 delayed key economic reports for more than two weeks. The shutdown comes at a sensitive time for the economy. Hiring slowed sharply in recent months, and government tallies showed that employers actually cut jobs in June for the first time since 2020. The unemployment rate inched up to 4.3% in August — its highest reading in almost four years.

The September jobs report would ordinarily help shed light on whether those trends continued into early fall. Key Advisors Wealth Management co-founder Eddie Ghabour joins Varney & Co. to discuss market volatility amid Washington’s looming shutdown deadline and why investors should stay alert heading into Thanksgiving. The ongoing government shutdown has disrupted the flow of economic data from federal agencies and the October jobs report is the latest closely watched report to be delayed due to the impasse. Most workers at the Labor Department and other federal agencies responsible for producing economic reports have been furloughed since the shutdown began on Oct. 1.

The impasse has extended into November, becoming the longest shutdown in U.S. history and pushing back more economic data reports in the process. The Bureau of Labor Statistics was scheduled to release the October jobs report on Friday, but the agency hasn't returned to its normal operations because of the shutdown. The government shutdown began on October 1 and has delayed several important economic data reports. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc/Getty Images)

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