The US federal government officially shut down at 12:01 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on a short-term spending plan. This shutdown affects approximately 800,000 government employees who now face potential pay cuts. The timing is particularly sensitive as the US labor market has shown signs of stagnation over the summer. Additionally, the shutdown is expected to delay the release of the September non-farm payroll report, originally scheduled for this Friday. The delay is due to layoffs at the government data center, which could deprive economists and investors of critical insights into the labor market's health.