The government shutdown prevented the Bureau of Labor Statistics from releasing a job openings report, just one of many metrics that help builders understand the broader economy.

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased marginally last week, Haver Analytics estimated on Thursday, pointing to stable labor market conditions in October despite a surge in announced layoffs.

Without more detailed data from the federal government, it’s hard to know. In normal times, the October jobs report would come tomorrow from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But these are not normal times. So instead of the comprehensive numbers from the federal government, we make do with jobs data from private sources.