The US Department of Labor said that the September Payrolls report is one of the casualties of the partial government shutdown. It was scheduled to be released on Friday, October 4. The department hasn’t issued an alternative date for the jobs report. The unemployment rate and data on payroll employment were set to be released.
The report is the most prominent among the data releases issued by federal government agencies that have been canceled as some federal workers deemed unimportant are furloughed. President Barack Obama and the leaders of Congress failed to break the budget standoff that has resulted to the first shutdown since 1996.
According to its web site, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will not collect data, respond to public inquiries or issue reports during the government shutdown. The agency will continue to assess the situation during the lapse in appropriations.
Crop and livestock reports from the US Department of Agriculture were also suspended. The National Agricultural Statistics will not release reports while its workers are furloughed. Reports that are suspended are global supply and demand for agricultural commodities.
Data from private organizations are not affected by the government shutdown. These include Institute for Supply Management non-manufacturing index.
The jobs report is watched closely because it affects the actions by Federal Reserve policy makers as well as the health of the economy. The Fed said it will keep interest rate near zero as long as the jobless rate is above 6.5 percent and inflation is no more than 2.5 percent.
