New Delhi, Oct. 4 -- WASHINGTON - The United States awoke Friday without the monthly employment snapshot that, for decades, has anchored Wall Street forecasts and Main Street expectations. A federal shutdown has halted the Labor Department's statistical operations, delaying the September jobs report and freezing a larger ecosystem of official releases just as the nation confronts a fragile labor market, unsettled inflation dynamics, and a central bank preparing for its next interest-rate decision.

The missing report, nonfarm payrolls, unemployment, wages, participation, is more than a ritual. It is the common reference point for households and businesses, the Federal Reserve and financial markets, governors and mayors. Without it, the ec...