Hurricanes Helene and Milton 				        
 												
 Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on September 26, 2024, and then	
 tracked north into several other states. This was before the October reference periods for	
 both the household and establishment surveys. 						
 												
 Hurricane Milton struck Florida on October 9, 2024, during the reference periods for both	
 surveys. Prior to the storm’s landfall, there were large-scale evacuations of Florida	
 residents.											
 											
 In October, the household survey was conducted largely according to standard procedures,	
and response rates were within normal ranges.						
 												
 The initial establishment survey collection rate for October was well below average.		
 However, collection rates were similar in storm-affected areas and unaffected areas. A	
 larger influence on the October collection rate for establishment data was the timing and	
 length of the collection period. This period, which can range from 10 to 16 days, lasted	
 10 days in October and was completed several days before the end of the month. 		
												
 No changes were made to either the establishment or household survey estimation procedures	
 for the October data. It is likely that payroll employment estimates in some industries	
 were affected by the hurricanes; however, it is not possible to quantify the net effect on	
 the over-the-month change in national employment, hours, or earnings estimates because the	
 establishment survey is not designed to isolate effects from extreme weather events. There	
 was no discernible effect on the national unemployment rate from the household survey. 	
												
 For information on how unusually severe weather can affect employment and hours estimates,	
 see the Frequently Asked Questions section of this news release. 				
 												
 BLS will release the state estimates of employment and unemployment for October on		
 November 19, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).