Even agriculture has gone K-shaped.
While some regional Fed banks have hard data, many of those figures come from agencies that are closed during the shutdown.
Experiences vary by region, but many say they're trying to avoid passing on tariff costs to their consumers.
The Federal Reserve is a complex system that includes dozens of bankers and economic leaders. But who has influence?
![Without robust government data, "as time goes by, the basis for [Fed] policy decision-making will become more shaky,” warned former Fed economist David Wilcox.](https://img.apmcdn.org/13704a7c56f0a9a2140c00f0b3a8cbd8e481ba80/widescreen/f84ec0-20251028-the-seal-of-the-us-federal-reserve-webp2000.webp)
