The Fed just lost a key data feed on the job market days before its next rate meeting. A former BLS chief warns it’s ‘very concerning’ as Powell is left ‘flying blind’

The Federal Reserve faces an unprecedented challenge as it prepares to set interest rates next week—making its decision with almost no economic data available.

The government shutdown has halted the release of most U.S. economic statistics, including the monthly jobs report. However, the Fed also recently lost access to one of its main private sources of backup data. 

Payroll-processing giant ADP quietly stopped sharing its internal data with the central bank in late August...