Current Employment Statistics (CES)

Summary

The Current Employment Statistics (CES) program is a monthly survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey provides employment, hours, and earnings estimates based on payroll records of business establishments.

https://www.bls.gov/ces/
Agency	DOL, BLS
Data Checkup

Historical Data Availability

No Known Issue

Future Data Availability

No Known Issue

Data Quality

No Known Issue

Statutory Context

No Known Issue

Is a principal federal economic indicator.

Staffing and Funding

High Risk

A new BLS Commissioner has been confirmed but many leadership roles remain vacant, and reductions in staffing have affected the ability to maintain core data collections. Prior to the shutdown, hiring had resumed to augment CPI data collection. From FY2024 to FY2026, the Census Bureau has lost more than 2,500 staff (approximately 20%).

Policy

Moderate Risk

President Trump posted on Truth Social on August 1, 2025, saying the job numbers were rigged and Dr. Erika McEntarfer had manipulated the job numbers before the election.

Last updated: 2026-10-05

Primary URL	https://www.bls.gov/ces/

Details

Related ICRs
OMB Control Number	1220-0011
Authorizing Statutes	29 USC 2, 29 USC 1

Reference Number	Title	Agency	Status	Request Type
202503-1220-001	Report on Current Employment Statistics	DOL/BLS	Active	No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection