Jobs Report held hostage

Government Postpones Jobs Report Amid Shut Down

by: Annayln Kurtz

October 3, 2013

CNN Money

                We all know the government shut down, it’s not the elephant in the room anymore, since then we’ve had slight changes in the way things work.  For example, at school the lunches are free, the lunch ladies say it’s because of the government shutdown, but to me this makes sense but my next example doesn’t.  Last week I went to the new vending machine, I punched in the number and I received my drink for free, I asked and they said it was cause of the government shut down.  Now why are the vending machines free?

                The article I read was about the government shut down and the jobs report.  The article was called “Government postpones jobs report amid shutdown” by Annalyn Kurtz on October 3, 2013 through CNN Money. 

                The government announced that they were going to release the jobs report on Friday, October 4 and confirmed that on Thursday, but it never happened.  People who are looking for jobs read this report religiously to see if they can get a job, but they didn’t.  Citing a "lapse in funding" amid the government shutdown, Department of Labor spokesman Stephan Barr said the report has not yet been rescheduled for release at a later date.  The jobs report has been delayed only once before, during the government shutdown of 1996.  Independent economists were expecting the new data to show the unemployment rate remained at 7.3% in September. They were also predicting the economy added 183,000 jobs last month, up slightly from 169,000 jobs in August.  The report was very important this month because the Federal Reserve monitors this data to decide when to slow its stimulus program.

                The bureau claims that due to the shutdown, they don’t have the man power to compile this report, but what about all the people who don’t have jobs? What are they going to do?  Sit and wait?  I think that even though we are having a government shutdown they should still send out the report, they promised the people this every month and that is what they should get. 

                I just hope this government shutdown doesn’t last too long and that the people of America get their jobs report.  I personally don't get why we are having a government shutdown and don't think we should have one.