White House National Economic Council Director Hassett: Some October data could be lost forever

Mr. Hassett, director of the White House's National Economic Council, said the record-long government shutdown meant that some economic data that was supposed to be collected in October might never be recorded, making it difficult to fully assess the health of the US economy. "I understand that some of the surveys were actually not completed at all, so we may never know what happened that month," Mr. Hassett said on Tuesday. "We may have to go through another period of clouds before the data agencies get back up and running." Statistical agencies, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, were unable to collect data during the shutdown, leaving some reports that relied on manual collection methods highly vulnerable. There is a growing risk that the Bureau of Labor Statistics will not be able to release the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for October, and economists are also concerned about whether another unemployment-related survey will be released.