Government shutdown will postpone release of Labor Department's September jobs report

The Labor Department will delay its release of economic data if the government shuts down, possibly postponing its monthly jobs report, including September's due out Friday.

The agency announced the contingency plan late last week – with the deadline for Senate Democrats and Republicans to reach a spending deal to keep the federal government fully operational to end overnight Tuesday, according to CBS News.

If the government shuts down, then the agency's Bureau of Labor Statistics, which compiles and releases the monthly jobs – or unemployment – reports in the U.S. would pause all operations, including data collection for surveys, website updates and economic reports, according to the plan.

The BLS is scheduled to release its September jobs report this Friday.

The bureau reported earlier this month that 22,000 jobs were added in August, below economists' forecasts. The report for September is expected to show about 50,500 new hires, according to economists polled by FactSet. 

The monthly jobs reports are considered a key asset for the Federal Reserve in deciding whether to raise, cut or maintain the country's benchmark interest rates.