Investors looking forward to long-delayed data releases this week might have to wait longer for clarity on the state of the US economy.
Two reports on jobs and inflation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics will provide the best read in months on the trajectory of the economy after a record government shutdown halted regular data releases. But analysts warn the delayed statistics will be tarnished and provide only limited clarity on the health of the world’s biggest economy.
“We’re still in the clouds and the data we’re going to get is better than not having data,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG US. “But it’s not going to be definitive because it is reflecting an economy in flux and it’s also still incomplete.”