The absence of official economic and labor statistics amid the government shutdown leaves business leaders depending on sometimes clashing reports from private sector data providers.

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.

Challenger, Gray & Christmas’ latest layoff report fills in gaps left by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and also sounds the alarm on “cruel” Q4 layoffs.

The U.S. jobless rate likely edged up in October to the highest in four years as the hiring rate for unemployed workers slowed and the rate of layoffs and other job separations increased, according to an estimate by the Chicago Fed released Thursday.

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 Department of Labor is recalling 255 furloughed workers to staff more services as the government shutdown nears its second month.

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.

WASHINGTON—A top Trump administration statistics official played down the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics over the summer, arguing elected leaders must be able to hold agency chiefs accountable.

Employers slashed more than 150,000 jobs in October, the largest wave of layoffs in more than 20 years, Challenger, Gray & Christmas said.