If you keep an eye on the economy, you probably know that the first Friday of every month is usually “Jobs Friday.” That is when the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases its Employment Situation Report, the big one that tells us how many jobs were added or lost, what the unemployment rate is, and how much people are earning on average.
But today — Friday, November 7, 2025 — that report did not show up. No data, no headlines, no fresh numbers from the BLS. So, what happened?
Why There’s No Jobs Report Today
Normally, the jobs report only gets delayed if the first Friday lands on a holiday. That is not the case this time. Instead, the reason is the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has forced the BLS and other agencies to suspend the release of official data.
That means investors, journalists, and policymakers are missing one of the most important snapshots of the U.S. economy. And without it, we are all relying on private-sector reports — which do not always tell a consistent story.
Private Reports Step In (and They are Sending Mixed Signals)
With no official numbers to work with, private companies have released their own reports on the job market — and the results are confusing.
- Layoffs are spiking:
Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that U.S. companies announced 153,074 job cuts in October — up 175% from a year ago and the highest for October since 2003. Many businesses blamed cost-cutting efforts and the impact of artificial intelligence for the layoffs.
- Some sectors are still hiring:
According to ADP, there was job growth in several areas, including trade, transportation, and utilities (+47,000 jobs) and education and health services (+26,000 jobs).
- Workers are feeling uneasy:
A Glassdoor report found that employees are less confident about the job market and more likely to accept job offers quickly, hinting at a shift in power from workers back to employers.
What It All Means
Taken together, these reports paint a picture of a labor market that is cooling off, but not collapsing. Layoffs are climbing, confidence is slipping, yet parts of the economy are still adding jobs.
Economists had expected that if the official report had been released, it would likely have shown a decline of around 60,000 jobs and an unemployment rate rising to 4.5%.
This kind of slowdown could actually push the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates — since a softer job market can ease inflation pressures.
The Bigger Picture
This government shutdown is already one of the longest on record, and it is leaving a big hole in the flow of economic information. Without the official jobs report (and other government data), everyone — from investors to everyday citizens — has less clarity about where the economy is heading.
So, while this Jobs Friday came and went without the usual numbers, the story those missing figures would have told seems fairly clear:
The U.S. job market is losing some steam — and everyone is watching closely to see what happens next.
Sources
1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Schedule of Releases for the Employment Situation.” Google AI, November 7, 2025,
2. Ockerman, Emma. “There Is No Jobs Report Today. Here IS What It Might Have Shown.” Yahoo!Finance, November 7, 2025.
3. Cox, Jeff. “Shutdown means another missed job report Friday. Here is what it probably would have shown.” CNBC, November 7, 2025.