While I don't disagree about the reason that some of these reports will not be issued (the workers who collect the data were not in place, so that data cannot now be collected retrospectively), it's a one-time excuse that cannot be applied again. The lack of data collection and reporting does get in the way of the Fed acting on short term interest rates in their next meeting, so it seems quite reasonable that the FOMC does not change interest rates this month. Jay Powell and some others on the committee do not like to act when they are missing data which otherwise helps guide in decision making.

Trump has frozen the Fed for a month, perhaps to the short-term detriment of the US economy. Real smart, MRI boy...