Due to the government shutdown, the US did not release its official jobs report, but private sector data from sources like ADP, Indeed, and Bank of America indicate a sluggish labor market in October, with increased layoffs, decreased job postings, and slow hiring, especially in small businesses and certain industries.
Amid a government shutdown, private data suggests the US job market experienced minimal growth in September, with employment mainly in wealthy states and sectors like healthcare, indicating a weakening economy that official data has yet to fully reveal.
Wall Street is increasingly relying on private data sources for economic indicators due to concerns over potential politicization of the Bureau of Labor Statistics data under the Trump administration, which could impact market confidence and valuations.