StatCan suspends preview of jobs report after data leak

Statistics Canada says it will stop providing a preview of its monthly jobs report to certain government officials “until further notice,” a decision that comes after details about April’s employment numbers were published ahead of their normally scheduled release time.

Canada’s monthly employment figures are typically published on a Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET, but Bloomberg published a story last Friday with key points of the April jobs report before 8 a.m., citing someone familiar with the data.

While a journalistic scoop, the leak set off alarm bells for certain people, as the jobs data is considered potentially market-moving information that could, as an example, influence valuations of Canada’s currency. Following the leak, Statistics Canada launched an internal investigation.

Statistics Canada said late Tuesday that it provides pre-release information on its Labour Force Survey (LFS) to a “select group of stakeholders” and that, to do so, the agency’s chief statistician seeks permission from the Clerk of the Privy Council, the country’s top bureaucrat.

“Pre-release information is provided under strict conditions and through secure channels,” the agency said.

“There will be no pre-release of LFS information until further notice.”

Officials who get the pre-release data include those from the finance, employment and privy council departments, StatCan said.

Beginning in April, advance access to the job numbers was extended to the Bank of Canada and the economic-development ministry.

Those who get the data in advance have to sign a statement agreeing to keep the numbers confidential ahead of time, according to StatCan, and they are banned from briefings until 5 p.m. on Thursday, when markets are closed.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains have said they plan to get to the bottom of what happened.

In addition to its internal probe, Statistics Canada says it will also take “appropriate action going forward.”