Amidst a government shutdown, the Federal Reserve faces crucial decisions regarding interest rates this week. A significant employment report released for September has already caused delays in other reports and will likely play a pivotal role in these decisions. The U.S. labor market provided a mixed bag of data with September’s non-farm employment figures showing an expected 119,000 increase, while August saw only 22,000 new jobs added. These numbers are significant because the unemployment rate increased past 4.4% for the first time in a long time and average earnings saw a growth of 3.8%, which aligned with earlier predictions. The unexpected employment increase will likely impact the Fed’s stance on future interest rate decisions, as it suggests that despite the ongoing economic slowdown, job demand remains strong.