A government shutdown would make the Fed's job a lot harder as economic data is delayed

• A potential government shutdown would make the Federal Reserve's job of setting monetary policy a lot harder.
• That's because the release of certain economic data would be delayed while the government is closed. 
• Lawmakers need to reach an agreement on spending by September 30 to avert a shutdown. 

The Federal Reserve's job of setting monetary policy will be a lot harder if Congress moves forward with a government shutdown.

That's because a shutdown would delay the release of economic data from government agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.