The department is preparing for what would amount to a news and data blackout should the government suspend operations.

The department is preparing for what would amount to a news and data blackout should the government suspend operations.

Federal jobs numbers will not be released if the government shuts down at midnight Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Labor said. It's a much-anticipated report.

The partial government shutdown may leave the Fed without its usual snapshot of the labor market at a critical moment.