Wall Street opened lower on Friday as the continuing US government shutdown kept the Bureau of Labor Statistics closed, forcing a second consecutive cancellation of the monthly employment report that traders rely on to gauge the economy. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both slipped in early trading.

The September jobs report, normally released on the first Friday of the month, has been postponed indefinitely because BLS staff remain furloughed. The agency confirmed that no new economic indicators, including the consumer price index due later in October, would be published until Congress restored appropriations.

With official data absent, investors turned to private gauges. The ADP National Employment Report and figures from payroll processors suggested the labour market was cooling, with hiring slowing across services and manufacturing.

Economists at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley said the data vacuum complicated the Federal Reserve's October 27-28 policy meeting. The shutdown, now the longest in recent years, has rattled sentiment beyond equities. Treasury yields drifted lower as traders priced in a higher probability of a Fed rate cut, while the dollar eased against the euro and yen.

Analysts at JPMorgan warned that prolonged uncertainty could weigh on fourth-quarter growth estimates. A White House Office of Management and Budget spokesperson said essential services continued, but acknowledged that statistical agencies remained shuttered.