BLS Delays January Jobs Report Due to Shutdown

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on Monday that it will delay the release of its closely watched January jobs report and other key labor market data due to a partial federal government shutdown that began on January 31.

The Employment Situation report for January 2026, originally scheduled for release on Friday, February 6, had been anticipated to offer insights into the US labor market following a year of subdued job growth, with only 584,000 positions added in 2025 compared to about 2 million the previous year. Data collection for the report had been completed prior to the funding lapse, but the agency must now suspend processing and dissemination until funding resumes. Additional reports affected include the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for December 2025, set for Tuesday, and the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment report for December 2025, planned for Wednesday. All will be rescheduled once operations restart.

Emily Liddel, associate commissioner for the BLS Office of Publications and Special Studies, stated via email, "Due to the partial federal government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will suspend data collection, processing, and...