\n The lack of government data leaves investors, economists and policymakers with a murkier view of the economy at a crucial moment when concerns are mounting about a weaker labor market and stickier inflation.\n <\/p>\n
\n If the shutdown drags on, the lack of government data could strain investors\u2019 understanding of the health of the labor market and path of inflation at a time when stocks are historically expensive<\/a> and vulnerable to a surprise.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThere\u2019s no good time for a shutdown, but this one is particularly ill-timed. The lack of updated labor data coincides with other signs of fragility in the economy,\u201d Mark Hamrick, senior economist analyst at Bankrate, said in an email.\n <\/p>\n \n Government agencies including the BLS, Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau said they are postponing publication of data until after the shutdown ends.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIt generates an uptick in uncertainty, because we\u2019re not getting the consistent economic clues that we\u2019re used to,\u201d said Jos\u00e9 Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers.\n <\/p>\n \n The Dow and S&P 500 hit three record highs<\/a> on the first three days of the shutdown. The Dow, S&P and Nasdaq each ended the week with gains of more than 1%.\n <\/p>\n \n Still, risks remain: The absence of the jobs report and the potential for a lack of information going forward adds a fresh layer of uncertainty to markets and muddies the Fed\u2019s view of the economy.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIt is more difficult than usual to measure the state of the US labor market, with gold-standard economic indicators produced by the federal government unavailable during the shutdown,\u201d Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank, said in a note.\n <\/p>\n
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