Overview

• With funding unresolved, the Labor Department says it will delay economic data, putting Friday's September jobs release at risk.
• The BLS contingency plan pauses all operations during a shutdown, including survey collection, website updates and reports.
• Economists expect modest payroll gains, with surveys pointing to roughly 45,000 to 50,500 jobs and an unemployment rate near 4.3 percent.
• Recent figures underscored a slowdown, with only 22,000 jobs in August and a rare job loss in June after revisions.
• The reading is poised to influence the Fed's rate‑cut cadence, as weaker results could accelerate easing while stronger hiring could temper those bets.