Powell: The decline in government data availability is concerning.

[Powell: The decline in government data availability is concerning] Federal Reserve Chairman Powell said on Wednesday that budget cuts have limited some economic data from federal agencies, but have not yet affected the Fed’s ability to fully assess the strength and direction of the U.S. economy. However, the trend of declining data availability is concerning. In response to a senator’s question during a Senate Banking Committee meeting, Powell stated, “(I) do not want anyone to think that the data has deteriorated to the point where we find it difficult to understand the economy; while it is not perfect, the direction of its development is worrying.”