US Economic Data for October to Remain Hidden Due to Government Shutdown.
The Trump administration is refusing to release key economic data from October, including inflation and employment figures, citing the prolonged government shutdown as the reason. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) could not complete its usual surveys during the 40-plus days the government was shuttered, resulting in "permanent impairment" to the statistics.
Leavitt blamed Democrats for their refusal to agree on the administration's budget demands, which she claimed had damaged the federal statistical system. However, lawmakers are criticizing the move as an attempt by Trump to cover up poor economic figures. Representative Shri Thanedar from Michigan wrote on social media, "Americans know the economy is bad... Trump is trying to cover up numbers."
Experts argue that while much of the business-side data can be reconstructed, the household survey relied upon for employment status cannot be done retroactively without risking unreliable results. Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported last week that U.S. employers cut over 150,000 jobs in October.
The administration may still release half the employment report but not the unemployment rate, according to Kevin Hassett of the National Economic Council. This has left many questioning how accurate the remaining data will be, as Hassett stated, "We'll never actually know for sure what the unemployment rate was in October."
Critics of Trump's economic policies say that this move is part of a broader attempt by the administration to conceal its own failed initiatives. The refusal to release key statistics has raised concerns about the credibility of official economic data and how it will impact public policy decisions.
The decision has also sparked criticism from lawmakers on both sides, who are concerned about the lack of transparency in government data. As Representative Jason Crow put it on X, "Trump is wrecking our economy... 153,000 jobs lost last month – the worst October record in over 20 years."
The Trump administration is refusing to release key economic data from October, including inflation and employment figures, citing the prolonged government shutdown as the reason. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) could not complete its usual surveys during the 40-plus days the government was shuttered, resulting in "permanent impairment" to the statistics.
Leavitt blamed Democrats for their refusal to agree on the administration's budget demands, which she claimed had damaged the federal statistical system. However, lawmakers are criticizing the move as an attempt by Trump to cover up poor economic figures. Representative Shri Thanedar from Michigan wrote on social media, "Americans know the economy is bad... Trump is trying to cover up numbers."
Experts argue that while much of the business-side data can be reconstructed, the household survey relied upon for employment status cannot be done retroactively without risking unreliable results. Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported last week that U.S. employers cut over 150,000 jobs in October.
The administration may still release half the employment report but not the unemployment rate, according to Kevin Hassett of the National Economic Council. This has left many questioning how accurate the remaining data will be, as Hassett stated, "We'll never actually know for sure what the unemployment rate was in October."
Critics of Trump's economic policies say that this move is part of a broader attempt by the administration to conceal its own failed initiatives. The refusal to release key statistics has raised concerns about the credibility of official economic data and how it will impact public policy decisions.
The decision has also sparked criticism from lawmakers on both sides, who are concerned about the lack of transparency in government data. As Representative Jason Crow put it on X, "Trump is wrecking our economy... 153,000 jobs lost last month – the worst October record in over 20 years."
This shutdown thingy is getting outta hand 
. I mean, come on, Trump's all like "oh, we need more time" or some other excuse... meanwhile, Americans are left wondering if their jobs even exist anymore 
. 150k+ jobs cut in one month? That's not just bad, that's straight-up awful 
. And now they're trying to hide it from us? Like, what even is the point of having a government if you can't trust them to give us accurate info 
? I'm starting to think we should just get rid of this whole shutdown thing altogether and just have an open book 
. At least that way, we'd know what's really going on behind the scenes 
.
. like, if the econ is really that bad, shouldn't we wanna know? the gov shutdown thingy sounds like just an excuse 
. i mean, what's with all these 'permanent impairment' this and 'damage to the statistical system' bs? sounds like a bunch of corporate-speak to me 
. and 150k jobs lost in one month? that's wild... but is it any surprise from a guy who thinks he can just tweet his way out of everything 
?
i wish we had more transparency about our economy. it feels like they're playin with fire over there 
. I'm so sick of politicians trying to cover up bad news with their PR spin 
. Can't trust these numbers anymore 
. I swear, sometimes I think they're more concerned about looking good than actually doing what's right 
.
Come on, man! A government shutdown and they're hiding economic data? That's just weird. I don't get it. They're saying it's because of Democrats not agreeing on a budget, but that doesn't sound right to me. If the BLS couldn't do their surveys, then why can't they release half the employment report without the unemployment rate? It's just some dodgy math, you know? And now we gotta wonder if this data is even accurate... 
. It's like they're trying to cover up some bad news... and I'm not buying it 
... 150k+ in Oct alone 
. What's the real reason behind this move? 
. Hope we get some answers soon 
. But by hiding the truth and making stuff up (or refusing to release data altogether), hes got a snowball chance of getting re-elected. And honestly, who needs accurate economic stats when you can just spin it to make yourself look good? 
i mean come on, 150k jobs lost in october that's some serious stuff 
. This is just another example of Trump's lack of transparency and his administration's priorities... jobs! Like, how many more jobs do we need to lose before someone takes action? 
! I mean, I remember when we had recessions and it was tough, but at least we knew about it. Now, with all these experts sayin' we'll never know for sure what the unemployment rate was... it's like tryin' to read tea leaves 
️. Can't trust the numbers anymore? It's makin' me nervous 
. Newsflash: we already know things are tough for the average American 
Get some of your own house in order before pointing fingers at others 
.
. I mean, what if those unemployment numbers are actually higher than they think? We can't trust the data anyway 
. I'm not saying he's perfect or anything 
, but come on, can't we give the guy a break? 
.
. So let's not jump to conclusions or start trashing each other 
.