When Fed Gets Jobs Data, It Won’t Make December Rate Call Easier

Federal Reserve officials had to make their latest interest-rate decision without key economic statistics thanks to the US government shutdown. The data they will receive when the government reopens probably won’t make the next decision any easier.

Friday marks the second month without a national employment report since federal agencies publishing economic data went dark. Even if the government were to reopen soon, post-shutdown numbers would be compiled based on surveys conducted retroactively, making them less reliable.

With each day passing, there’s an increasing chance some October data on jobs and prices may not be released at all, economists ...