Partisan standoff threatens crucial economic data, leaving Fed — and families — in the dark

Core Points - The Labor Department is preparing for a potential halt in economic data releases due to a possible partial government shutdown, which could significantly impact economic insights ahead of the Federal Reserve's October meeting [1][10] - The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) plans to suspend all operations, which includes halting the release of critical economic reports [2][4] - The upcoming release of the monthly nonfarm payrolls report and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is particularly crucial, as they will provide key information on job growth and inflation before the Federal Reserve's policy meeting [5][7] Group 1 - The Labor Department's contingency plan indicates that economic data scheduled for release during a government shutdown will not be published, affecting various reports related to import/export prices and wages [4][10] - The BLS typically publishes around a dozen reports each month, and the shutdown would disrupt all active data collection activities for BLS surveys, potentially delaying future releases [4][10] - The government shutdown is set to occur if Congress does not approve a funding extension, with a deadline of 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday [8] Group 2 - The BLS's website will be inactive during the shutdown, meaning no updates or technical fixes will be available, further complicating access to economic data [11] - The revision of 911,000 jobs, the largest on record, has drawn criticism from the White House, which is calling for a Federal Reserve rate cut in response to the economic situation [2]