The Bureau of Labor Statistics downplayed a lockdown of its online databases after warning of technical difficulties in the moments before the release of the closely watched August employment report.
“Locking the database prior to any release is a normal part of our release process,” BLS spokesperson Stacey Standish said in an emailed statement shortly before 8:30 Friday, adding that the report would be published as planned.
Earlier Friday, the agency posted a statement on its website saying, “Sorry, we are currently experiencing technical difficulties. All BLS data retrieval tools will be available as soon as we’ve resolved the problem.” ...