US economic outlook obscured by shutdown-triggered data gap

The recent U.S. government shutdown has created a significant data gap, obscuring the economic outlook. As highlighted by the Financial Times, this gap could affect critical areas such as interest rate cuts and investment decisions. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget noted that the shutdown 'accomplished nothing and caused significant harm,' emphasizing the dysfunction in government operations. Furthermore, the reopening of the federal government is set to release backlogged labor data, which may provide insights into the economic situation. However, the delay in these reports raises concerns about the accuracy of future economic assessments.