Overview
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics rescheduled the September employment report for Thursday after a 43‑day shutdown halted data collection and publication.
- Labor Department figures show 232,000 initial claims and 1.957 million continuing claims for the week ended Oct. 18, the highest continuing rolls since early August.
- Officials said the Oct. 18 claims posting occurred by mistake due to a technical issue, and they plan to correct and complete the series by Nov. 20.
- Economists expect modest September payroll gains of roughly 50,000–58,000 with unemployment near 4.3%, reflecting a labor market that has cooled without collapsing.
- Some October statistics may be partial or unavailable, complicating Federal Reserve assessments ahead of its December meeting as private layoff signals and elevated continuing claims point to softness.