On September 15, 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the State Employment and Unemployment news release for August 2017. With so many people impacted by the never-ending barrage of storms in the news lately, BLS included the following statement.
Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey had no discernible effect on the employment and unemployment data for August. Household survey data collection was completed before the storm. Establishment survey data collection for this news release was largely completed prior to the storm, and collection rates were within normal ranges nationally and for the affected areas. For information on how unusually severe weather can affect the employment and unemployment estimates, see question 8 in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of the Employment Situation news release at BLS FAQ.
LEAD felt it would be worthy to bring attention to this statement. For your convenience question 8 from the BLS FAQ is included below.
8. How can unusually severe weather affect employment and hours estimates?
In the establishment survey, the reference period is the pay period that includes
the 12th of the month. Unusually severe weather is more likely to have an impact on
average weekly hours than on employment. Average weekly hours are estimated for paid
time during the pay period, including pay for holidays, sick leave, or other time off.
The impact of severe weather on hours estimates typically, but not always, results in
a reduction in average weekly hours. For example, some employees may be off work for
part of the pay period and not receive pay for the time missed, while some workers,
such as those dealing with cleanup or repair, may work extra hours.
Typically, it is not possible to precisely quantify the effect of extreme weather on
payroll employment estimates. In order for severe weather conditions to reduce
employment estimates, employees have to be off work without pay for the entire pay
period. Employees who receive pay for any part of the pay period, even 1 hour, are
counted in the payroll employment figures. For more information on how often employees
are paid, please visit BLS.
In the household survey, the reference period is generally the calendar week that
includes the 12th of the month. Persons who miss the entire week's work for weather-
related events are counted as employed whether or not they are paid for the time
off. The household survey collects data on the number of persons who had a job but
were not at work due to bad weather. It also provides a measure of the number of
persons who usually work full time but had reduced hours due to bad weather.