Fed Expected to Deliver Second Straight Rate Cut

Economic Outlook - The upcoming week will feature significant tech earnings on Wednesday and Thursday, alongside a crucial meeting between US and Chinese leaders on Thursday [1] - The Federal Reserve's decision is anticipated, but the ongoing government shutdown complicates data availability for October, leading to uncertainty for November as well [2][9] Labor Market Insights - The Chicago Fed's real-time unemployment forecast estimates an unemployment rate of 4.35% for October, showing little change from September's 4.3% [3] - Despite the lack of comprehensive data due to the shutdown, there is no indication of a significant deterioration in the labor market [4] Data Collection Challenges - The Federal Reserve's ability to gather accurate data is hindered, with the next meeting scheduled for December 10, leaving a gap in data collection for potentially one to three months [9][12] - The reliance on electronic sources for job data may allow for some estimates, but the unemployment number remains challenging to obtain due to its dependence on telephone surveys [8] Inflation and Consumer Confidence - There is a possibility of obtaining a reasonable estimate for the October CPI report if the government shutdown ends early in November, as only 2.5% of the sample is needed for a reasonable estimate [6] - Consumer confidence and jobless claims data will be monitored, although the overall data week is expected to be light due to cancellations [4][5]