US government partial shutdown to delay January jobs report, says BLS: When will it be released?

The US Bureau of Labour Statistics announced on Monday that the highly anticipated January jobs report will not be released on Friday due to a partial federal government shutdown.

As per a report by Bloomberg, in a statement, Emily Liddel, BLS associate commissioner for publications and special studies, said, "Due to the partial federal government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will suspend data collection, processing, and dissemination.”

Other reports scheduled for this week, including December’s Job Openings and Labour Turnover Survey and the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment report, will also be postponed.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which operates under the Labour Department, along with several other government agencies, had funding only through January 30. Although the Senate has voted to extend funding, the measure still requires approval from the House of Representatives. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed hope that the House will pass the bill on Tuesday.

In addition to the regular monthly payroll and unemployment figures, the January employment report will include highly anticipated revisions to annual employment data. These updates are expected to show that job growth for the year ending in March 2025 was significantly weaker than initially reported.

Speaker Mike Johnson faces a challenging task in securing approval for a Senate-passed spending bill, the result of negotiations between Trump and Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. The legislation would fund most federal agencies through September 30 and the Department of Homeland Security through February 13, maintaining resources for immigration raids while both parties continue discussions on enforcement policies.

However, the bill is encountering opposition from members of both parties, raising the possibility that the short shutdown could last longer than initially expected. Johnson said he anticipates the Rules Committee will hold an initial vote on Monday, with hopes that the bill could be fully passed by Tuesday.

The tax filing season, which began last week, could face disruptions, while government contractors may experience delayed pay and interrupted services if the funding gap continues. Non-essential federal employees would reportedly be furloughed.

Democrats, responding to public outrage over the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, aim to prevent further deaths by masked, armed agents in cities like Minneapolis, where two US citizens have already been killed. Conservatives, however, fear that backing Trump’s deal to restrict agents’ actions could mean abandoning key campaign promises.

(With inputs from agency)