The government shutdown delayed the BLS September jobs report by more than a month.

The shutdown could still result in a delayed data release.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics usually collects data in real time. So it may not be able to capture October prices or jobs data that was missed during the shutdown.

In non-shutdown times, the BLS would be collecting employment data this week. Not doing that could have economic implications.

Its underperformance in recent years could be a sign of weakness in the labor market

But private data can’t replace the government’s report.

There are other reports, but they lack the breadth and depth of the one the Bureau of Labor Statistics produces.

It’s not a story about wonky statistics. It’s about America’s reliability as a borrower of trillions of dollars, something that underpins our global economy.

Measuring inflation takes resources, but both the public and the U.S. government itself benefit from having an accurate read on price changes. 

At Marketplace, we cover a lot of hard data. But soft data can be just as important.