Some US economic data was permanently lost during the government shutdown, an information shortfall that will make economic policymaking much harder.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the October jobs report would not be released independently, because surveys were halted: It is the first time in 77 years that the government will not publish an unemployment rate. Price data may also be lost.
The lack of information comes with the Federal Reserve divided over whether to cut rates in December, a crucial decision given rising consumer worries about inflation.
Last month, the Fed Chair Jerome Powell preached caution: “What do you do if you’re driving in a fog?” he said. “You slow down.”