New Delhi, Oct. 3 -- The United States economy is being left in the dark after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was forced to delay its monthly job report due to the ongoing government shutdown. The highly anticipated release, scheduled for October 3, was expected to provide fresh insights into a labor market showing signs of strain, reported The Washington Post.

Without the report, economists said they are 'flying blind' at a critical time, according to the Washington Post. Erica Groshen, an economist at Cornell University and the one who led the Bureau of Labor Statistics during the 2013 shutdown, told the publication, "We are flying blind right as the economy could be turning."

Hiring has slowed, unemployment has been edging high...