White House: October Non-Farm Payrolls and Inflation Data May Never Be Released

On November 13th, the White House Press Secretary, Levitt, stated that due to the government shutdown, key economic reports for October might not be released at all. Levitt said, "Democrats may have irreparably damaged the federal statistical system. The October CPI and (nonfarm) employment reports are highly unlikely to ever be made public. The release of all this economic data will be permanently compromised, leaving Federal Reserve policymakers in the dark at a crucial time." With the government shutdown now lasting for more than six weeks, setting a new record for the longest shutdown in history, Wall Street has been worried about the matter of releasing important economic data. Other affected data include retail sales, import and export data, as well as consumer spending and income. Most economists had previously expected that all data would eventually be released, although with some delays. However, Levitt's remarks have cast a shadow over this expectation. She added that the shutdown could lead to a reduction in fourth-quarter economic growth of up to 2 percentage points. (CNBC)