White House: US October CPI and employment data may never be released.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that due to the US government shutdown, October’s jobs report and Consumer Price Index (CPI) report may not be released. Leavitt said at a press briefing:

“Democrats may have permanently damaged the federal statistical system, because the CPI and jobs report for October are very likely never to be published.”

During the government shutdown, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and other key statistical agencies have stopped generating and releasing economic data. Economists point out that some data can be collected and published retroactively, but some may be skipped altogether. They especially warn that, due to limitations in data collection methods, October’s CPI and unemployment rate are most likely to be missing because of the shutdown.

Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not announced a new schedule for data releases. The agency may combine two months' worth of data into a single release in order to return to a normal pace.

BLS has not responded to media requests for comment. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is expected to pass a Senate-approved bill later on Wednesday to reopen the government.

The White House stated at the end of last month that the October inflation report would not be released, noting this would be the first time in US history such data was skipped. At the time, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that normal operations would resume once funding was restored, and the public would be informed promptly of any schedule changes.

Leavitt did not make it clear whether she was referring to the entire jobs report or parts of it. The report consists of two surveys—an establishment survey (used to calculate the main nonfarm payroll numbers) and a household survey (used for unemployment rate data). While most businesses keep records and can report electronically, contacting residents by phone and asking about their employment status for a specific week in October would be extremely difficult to do retroactively.

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said in a media interview on Tuesday: “As far as I know, parts of some surveys were never completed, so we may never know what actually happened in that month. Until the data agencies are back up and running, we’re going to be in the dark for a while.”

Leavitt expressed concern over the missing data, saying this makes “Federal Reserve policymakers essentially flying blind during a critical period.” Fed officials are expected to hold a meeting December 9–10 to decide whether to cut interest rates for a third time this year.

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