Washington: The United States suspended the publication of a key employment report Friday as a partial government shutdown entered its third day, casting a fog over the health of the world's biggest economy.

The government has also delayed other economic releases this week, including a report on the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits -- depriving government and business leaders of indicators used in decision-making.

The data halt comes as the ongoing shutdown saw hundreds of thousands of federal employees being sent home without pay across a range of agencies.

The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that under a lapse in funding, about 750,000 employees could be furloughed each day.

But the US labor market has come under heightened scrutiny in recent months as hiring weakened notably, prompting the central bank to make its first interest rate cut of the year.

Without up-to-date official data, "the Federal Reserve will not have the full picture it needs to make decisions this month about interest rates that will impact every family across the country," warned Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday.

She urged President Donald Trump's administration to release data that has already been collected, despite the stoppage.

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