The U.S. Capitol is considered to be visible in Washington, DC on August 4, 2025.
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The Labor Bureau is prepared for what would be the equivalent of a news and data blackout if the US government shuts down.
In a contingency plan released Friday, the department said “to allow DOL agencies to carry out an orderly halt of programs and operations to continue to lapse while continuing to lapse while continuing to lapse.”
The sector covers a number of areas, but the impact on data releases is on investors. The DOL, in partnership with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides important clues on the economic direction and has several important reports notifying Federal Reserve policymakers ahead of their next meeting in October.
“BLS pauses all operations,” the plan on page 73 states. “Economic data that is scheduled to be released during the expiration will not be released.”
In a significant upcoming report that could be affected, on Friday, BLS will release its monthly non-farm salary report at a time when employment growth is significantly weakening. The department also releases its first unemployment claims report every Thursday.
It will then release its main inflation indicator, the Consumer Price Index, on October 15th.
In addition to not publishing the report, the department said “all active data collection activities in the BLS survey will be stopped,” indicating that other reports could be delayed if shutdowns are dragged.
“BLS websites will not be updated or restored with new content in the event of a technical failure during revocation,” the release states.
Overall, BLS releases approximately 12 economic reports each month, including import and export prices, wages and other activities related to consumers and workers.
