White House: October non-farm payroll and inflation data may never be released.

PANews reported on November 13th, citing CNBC, that White House Press Secretary Levitt stated that key economic reports for October may not be released at all due to the government shutdown. Levitt said, "Democrats may have permanently damaged the federal statistical system, and the October CPI and (non-farm) jobs reports are very likely to never be released. The release of all these economic data will be permanently damaged, forcing Federal Reserve policymakers to 'fly blind' during a critical period." With the government shutdown lasting over six weeks, setting a record for the longest in history, Wall Street has been closely watching the release of key economic data. Other affected data includes retail sales, import and export data, and consumer spending and income. Most economists had previously expected all data to eventually be released, albeit with delays. However, Levitt's comments cast a shadow over that expectation. She added that the shutdown could reduce fourth-quarter economic growth by as much as 2 percentage points.