The longest government shutdown in US history has forced the federal government to cancel the October 2025 inflation and jobs reports, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced on Friday.
Limited October price data will instead be combined with November figures in a delayed release scheduled for December 18.
The 43-day shutdown disrupted in-person data collection critical to calculating economic indicators like the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In-person surveys account for roughly two-thirds of the inputs for inflation measures, and BLS said it cannot retroactively collect the missing data.
Some non-survey-based data for October may still be included in the November release, though month-to-month percent changes will be incomplete where October figures are missing.
The disruption also affects employment reporting. The October Employment Situation report has been canceled, marking the first time in US history that a government shutdown led to the cancellation of an unemployment report.
Establishment survey data for October will be published with November numbers, while household survey data could not be collected and will not be retroactively obtained.
The delay means the Federal Reserve will lack key inflation and jobs figures ahead of its December meeting, when it will consider potential interest rate changes.
Other releases affected include the September Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, as well as October Real Earnings data. Missing data from each series will be combined with subsequent reports, compressing the BLS publication schedule.
Economists have warned that these gaps and delays could complicate economic assessments and may weigh on Q4 GDP growth, as government activity and consumer spending were constrained during the shutdown.