Shutdown crippled US jobs report, so no unemployment rate: Trump adviser Kevin Hassett
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett also said he expects the government closure to reduce fourth-quarter GDP by 1.5 per cent
The October jobs report will be released without a reading of the unemployment rate, President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser said on Thursday.
“The household survey wasn’t conducted in October, so we’re going to get half the employment report,” National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on Fox News. “We’ll get the jobs part, but we won’t get the unemployment rate, and that’ll just be for one month.”
The October jobs report, originally scheduled for publication by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on November 7, was one of many economic releases to not come out during the government shutdown. No data collection happened once the shutdown began as workers were furloughed.
Hassett, speaking to reporters at the White House, said it’s possible the September report, which was due on October 3, will come out next week. Data collection for that report was completed by the time the shutdown began on October 1.
Statistical agencies, as well as other government departments, are slowly getting back up and running since Trump signed a law restoring funding late on Wednesday. BLS, which will probably put out an updated release schedule soon, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The jobs report is composed of two surveys – one of businesses, which produces the main payrolls number, and another of households, which is responsible for the unemployment rate.