Economics
Shutdown Deprives Data-Dependent Fed of Data It’s Dependent On
- Central bank even more likely to pause without key reports
- GDP, housing, retail among delayed or likely delayed figures
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building.
Photographer: Andrew HarrerThis article is for subscribers only.
Just when the Federal Reserve most needs fresh data to keep its policy in sync with the U.S. economy, the government shutdown is getting in the way.
Timely information on economic growth, jobs, consumer spending and inflation is always crucial to monetary policy making. Now, the longest shutdown on record is blocking the collection and reporting of many of these key numbers.