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How will workers impacted by the lapse of appropriation be counted in Friday’s Employment Situation?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has received a number of questions about the impact of the lapse of appropriation for some federal agencies on our Employment Situation release.
BLS released the Employment Situation for January 2019 on Friday, February 1. See the table below for guidance on how workers affected by the partial federal government shutdown are classified in the establishment survey and the household survey.
| Survey | Federal workers who did not work during the reference period due to the partial federal government shutdown | Federal workers who worked without pay during the reference period due to the partial federal government shutdown | Other workers (including government contractors) who did not work during the reference period due to the partial federal government shutdown |
|---|---|---|---|
In the Establishment Survey that counts jobs. Reference period is the pay period that includes January 12, 2019. |
These workers are included in the count of jobs because they will be paid for the reference period | These workers are included in the count of jobs because they worked during the reference period | These workers are not included in the count of jobs because they did not work and did not get paid for the reference period |
In the Household Survey that counts people who are employed and unemployed. Reference period is January 6–12, 2019. |
These workers should be counted as unemployed (on temporary layoff) because they did not work at all during the reference week | These workers should be counted as employed because they worked during the reference week | These workers should be counted as unemployed (on temporary layoff) because they did not work at all during the reference week |
For more information about the effects on the January 2019 establishment and household survey estimates, see our Frequently Asked Questions.
Last Modified Date: February 4, 2019
