Employment data for Washington state won’t be published until after the federal government reopens, the state Employment Security Department confirmed the week of Oct. 10

The department provides data and analysis on Washington’s employment conditions, job market and workforce, including unemployment rates, wages, income and employment trends. 

The agency was scheduled to release its regular monthly employment report for September 2025 on Oct. 15, but that release will be delayed until the federal shutdown that began Oct. 1 ends.

An Employment Security Department spokesperson confirmed there will be no gaps in the data — just a delay in release. 

State-level employment reports rely on federal data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau and the Department of Labor, which are not releasing labor market and employment information during the shutdown. 

Washington’s Employment Security Department is unable to reconstruct any state-level employment reports while the federal government is closed, a spokesperson confirmed.

“We will be ready to update and post reports, such as the monthly employment report and county unemployment data, once the government reopens and the federal agencies resume reporting,” said Employment Security Chief Labor Economist Anneliese Vance-Sherman. 

This story is republished from the Washington State Standard, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet that provides original reporting, analysis and commentary on Washington state government and politics.