October Jobs Report Scrapped Amid Shutdown, Forcing Markets to Guess at Fed’s Next Move
The Bureau of Labor Statistics canceled October's jobs report due to the government shutdown, bundling it with November's delayed release. Critical unemployment data remains missing as collection froze under Trump-era closures. Markets now face unprecedented uncertainty ahead of the Fed's December meeting.
Traders rapidly recalibrated rate-hike bets after Fed minutes revealed DEEP divisions. Odds of a pause jumped to 63.8% as hawks clashed with officials prioritizing labor market softness over stubborn inflation. The September payrolls report, already delayed, finally arrives Thursday - a stale snapshot in volatile times.