NOTICE: Simultaneous Release of Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims and Monthly Employment Situation Reports

WASHINGTON, DC – Because of the observance of the Independence Day holiday on Friday, July 3, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release its monthly Employment Situation Report on Thursday, July 2, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. The BLS release coincides with the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims release, which occurs each Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

These two sets of data are distinct in important ways, though both are used by experts to assess the nation’s economy. To prevent confusion about the reports as a result of their simultaneous release, the Department is providing a breakdown of some key distinctions between the terminology of the reports, the sources of their data, and the measures of employment and unemployment they represent.

While the breakdown is not an exhaustive explanation of every element of the two reports, it provides broad descriptions on the major characteristics of the reports as a basis by which to report on their findings. The breakdown is available here.

BLS Commissioner William Beach has also addressed the relationship between Unemployment Insurance claims and BLS data twice in the past several months.

• How Many Unemployed People? Comparing Survey Data and Unemployment Insurance Counts
• Did You Know Official Unemployment Estimates Are NOT from Unemployment Insurance Counts?