Weekly Mortgage Rates Slightly Lower as Shutdown Sows Uncertainty

This article was first published on NerdWallet.com.

Mortgage rates are a little lower this week, but the path forward just became a lot less clear.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell two basis points to 6.33% APR in the week ending Oct. 2, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow. A basis point is one one-hundredth of a percentage point.

The week's biggest news, of course, was Wednesday's government shutdown. This doesn't affect mortgage rates directly, but it will certainly affect the economy - and rates will reflect that. It also makes mortgage rates' future moves much more difficult to predict, as key economic indicators become unavailable.

How the shutdown affects data

Mortgage lenders use a number of factors, including key economic reports released by the government, to determine mortgage rates. That data is also vital for the Federal Reserve, which plays a major role in influencing interest rates.

If everything were proceeding as normal, we'd be looking ahead to Friday's jobs report. Would it reinforce data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which seemed to show a stable labor market? Would a firming labor market turn the...