The US government shutdown delays data release, with initial jobless claims of 232,000 quietly released.

Historical data released by the US Department of Labor website shows that as of the week ending October 18, the total number of initial unemployment claims in the United States was 232,000. The number of continued unemployment claims, which measures the level of people receiving unemployment benefits, was 1.957 million, slightly higher than the previous week's 1.947 million. As for initial claims data, weekly data for the previous three weeks has not been provided. Despite the government shutdown starting earlier in October, the Department of Labor has not released its weekly unemployment insurance report, but has instead published data through other channels on its website. The latest initial claims data was obtained through an online database, and unadjusted state-level application data has been available for download throughout the shutdown. Economists have been using this state-level data and pre-released seasonal adjustment factors to estimate weekly claims numbers. The government shutdown has resulted in the delay of several key economic reports, including the monthly jobs report. The lack of official statistical data has forced economists and investors to rely on alternative and private sector indicators to assess the state of the economy. The Labor Statistics Bureau has announced an exception and will release the Consumer Price Index for September this Friday, so that the Social Security Administration can calculate the annual cost of living adjustment for Social Security beneficiaries.