January jobs report delayed indefinitely as government shutdown halts BLS operations

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on February 2, 2026 that the January Employment Situation report — typically released the first Friday of February — would not be published on its scheduled February 6 date due to a partial government shutdown that began January 31. The shutdown resulted from a congressional impasse over Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement funding. The BLS was among the agencies forced to suspend operations. The delayed report was ultimately released February 11, after the shutdown ended February 3.