The BLS data, which features estimates of employment and earnings nationwide from the previous month, offers important information on the state of the economy for economists, policymakers, government officials, and employers. It was due to be released Friday, but the Department of Labor (DOL), which oversees BLS, said in its contingency plan that no data would be released during the shutdown. Trump politicized the report back in August, when he baselessly alleged that poor jobs numbers were evidence of “rigged” data and subsequently fired then-BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. Additionally, emails viewed by Mother Jones show that the Office of Management and Budget also directed DOL employees to set out-of-office messages blaming Democrats for the shutdown. Groshen said she was “pretty shocked” to see reports of the out-of-office messages instructing federal employees to blame Democrats.