Following the government shutdown, the U.S. Labor Department has confirmed that some critical economic data is permanently lost. Officials have revealed that surveys were delayed and some data cannot be collected at all, further complicating the Federal Reserve’s decisions on interest rates. The loss of this data has significant implications for central bank officials as they debate whether to lower interest rates for a third consecutive meeting. Incomplete data may affect the central bank’s assessment of economic conditions, potentially influencing its decision to lower rates at the next meeting.