Market update today: Government shutdown ends as Wall Street weighs inflation and labor uncertainty

Markets, rejoice! The U.S. government shutdown, the longest in history, has finally come to an end. An optimist might assume the funding deal will avert a similar crisis—perhaps until the next administration, or for a couple of years at least? Not so. The countdown is already on, and the clock is set to 78 days.

Last night, President Donald Trump signed a funding bill to end the 43-day impasse on Capitol Hill. In it were funding provisions for departments including SNAP food aid, the Department of Agriculture, Congress, and veterans affairs through September next year. Unfortunately, the vast majority of federal departments only had their budgets approved until January 30.

While Wall Street rarely misses a step because of Washington’s fiscal fisticuffs, the longer the shutdown, the great