2025 Government Shutdown FAQs on BLS Data
The Friends of BLS
The 2025 Government Shutdown and BLS Data: Questions & Answers
How will the government shutdown, which may be over by the time you read this, affect BLS data?
For 77 years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has published monthly estimates of America’s unemployment rate. This uninterrupted streak may soon end, due to the 2025 government shutdown. For the first time in over 900 months, the Current Population Survey (CPS) may not gather monthly information from a representative sample of American households about whether they're working or looking for work. Normally, the CPS surveys about 60,000 randomly selected households to reflect the whole U.S. population.
The unemployment rate is just one of many statistics BLS produces. Each month the agency publishes hundreds of thousands of measures covering inflation, jobs, mobility, pay, productivity, working conditions, and other critical economic and social issues. Many of these statistics are available not only at the national level, but also for key subgroups, such as industry, occupation, state, metro area, county, gender, race, age, veteran status, and disability status.
Because of the long shutdown, October 2025 will permanently remain a partial blind spot in America’s official record. Since October 1, BLS has been unable to carry out the active BLS data collections underlying these estimates. In some cases, BLS will be unable to retroactively collect consistent information about Americans' experiences during this period.
To help data users navigate this unprecedented situation, The Friends of BLS has prepared the following Q&A.
Important caveat: The forward-looking answers below are speculative. They do NOT come from BLS. BLS experts have not yet announced plans for post-shutdown data releases.
1. Is BLS collecting data during the shutdown?
BLS is not actively collecting data during the shutdown. The only BLS employee at work is the acting commissioner.
2. Is BLS processing data or publishing data releases during the shutdown?
No, with one exception. BLS released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September 2025. The September CPI data had already been collected by September 30. The administration made a special exception to temporarily recall staff needed to process the data and issue the CPI release on October 24, allowing the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment for 2026 to be announced. No other releases are planned until the shutdown ends.
3. After the shutdown ends, how can I find out when new data will be released?
Expect BLS to publish an updated release schedule once the shutdown ends. This will provide a high-level overview of the impact of the shutdown on the data. Expect significant delays, some cancellations (perhaps temporary), preliminary and revised estimates, with guidance on data quality and uses. These effects could persist for many months.
4. What determines how the shutdown affects a data series?
Each program will be affected differently depending on its design features, such as how, when, and from whom the data are collected. Once the shutdown ends, BLS experts in each program will develop restart plans that consider the original schedule, standard processes, staffing, and data quality and continuity. Some speculative generalizations:
All or nearly all BLS programs will be affected.
Releases for which data collection is complete may be issued quickly, e.g., the September Employment Situation, Producer Price Index, and Import and Export Price Indexes.
Data collection and estimates at the quarterly level, rather than monthly, may be easier to fill in. Annual programs may be most or least affected, according to their data collection plans.
Electronic and administrative data sources may be easier to collect retroactively than household and small business surveys.
BLS tends to prioritize production of Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEIs). So, conditional on the program design and availability of needed staff, non-PFEIs could be affected more strongly, unless they underpin a PFEI. Non-PFEIs include the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), the American Time Use Survey, the Occupational Employment and Wage Survey, the Survey of Occupational Illnesses and Injuries and others.
Original 2025 PFEI release schedule:
5. What happened to BLS data during previous long government shutdowns?
1995-1996 (21 days): Many releases, including the Employment Situation and CPI were delayed; collection rates declined.
2013 (16 days): Most releases were delayed and collection rates were lower; some were cancelled. BLS issued an updated release schedule soon after reopening. For impact on data quality for particular data series, look at the releases following the shutdown for notices from BLS about the impact of the shutdown on those data.
2018-2019 (35 days): BLS was not affected because it had funding; operations continued as normal.
6. Will the impact of the 2025 shutdown on BLS be similar to the 2013 shutdown?
The 2025 delays may be longer, and data quality and availability may suffer more for two reasons:
The shutdown lasted much longer.
BLS entered the 2025 shutdown in a weaker condition, having lost almost 25% of its staff since February. One third of BLS leadership positions are vacant, its ability to contract for help is curtailed, and a hiring freeze remains in place. And, an unknown number of BLS staff may have decided to leave after the shutdown. With fewer staff available to work, put in overtime, or be reassigned, recovery is likely to be slower.
7. Are private sector estimates good substitutes for official data?
Private sector estimates are useful but cannot serve as full or long-run substitutes for federal statistics.
Only federal statistical agencies:
Are legally mandated to measure and publish data as a public good, supporting informed decision-making for all Americans–as their sole mission.
Aim for nationally representative, transparent, and consistent measures across time.
Maintain long, comparable, interoperable, time series of key indicators.
Produce and deliver detailed estimates for states, metro areas, counties, industry, occupation, and demographic characteristics.
By contrast, most private data are by-products of business activities; the underlying data are not designed to answer critical policy questions. Many private estimates also rely on public data for benchmarking, validating, and weighting. Private data providers may change access, methods, or pricing without notice, discontinue products entirely, or manipulate data for private gain or in response to political pressures. A recent example of the lack of certainty in provision of private estimates: ADP stopped providing client-level data to the Federal Reserve Board during the current shutdown.
8. What should BLS data users do after the shutdown?
Evaluate alternative data sources carefully, checking their methods and reliability.
Monitor BLS communications for an updated release schedule once operations resume..
Read technical notes accompanying early post-shutdown releases for details on data quality and comparability.
Stay informed by joining the Friends of BLS and subscribing to BLS notifications.
9. What can stakeholders do to support BLS’s mission?
Join Friends of BLS and consider contributing financially to the work of the Friends.
Encourage your employer and networks to participate in BLS surveys.
Urge the Administration to end the hiring freeze at BLS.
Communicate to BLS and Congress which data you rely on and why.
Respond to Federal Register Notices relevant to your data use.
Contact your members of Congress to advocate for oversight and stronger support for modernizing BLS and the federal statistical system.