(CNN) The US Department of Labor sent guidance to state labor agencies on Wednesday, asking them to hold off on releasing unemployment claims data earlier than the regularly scheduled national report on initial claims, according to a state labor agency.

The department asked state officials in an email Wednesday to only "provide information using generalities to describe claims levels (very high, large increase)" and keep the exact figures under embargo until next Thursday, according to The New York Times , which obtained the email.

Gay Gilbert, the administrator of the department's Office of Employment Insurance, wrote in the email that "states should not provide numeric values to the public," the Times reported.

"State data is regularly embargoed until the national numbers are published on Thursday morning and states are asked not to share their data until that time," a Department of Labor spokesperson said in a statement provided to CNN. "As a leading economic indicator that has the potential to impact policy decisions and financial markets, it is important to ensure the information is communicated in a consistent and fair manner."

Government figures already show that Americans are starting to lose their jobs in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Before the pandemic hit the US, initial unemployment insurance claims were between roughly 210,000 and 230,000 a week.

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