Urban Planning Professor Chris Tilly spoke with Chile’s El Mercurio about the U.S. government shutdown, the longest in the nation’s history.

Tilly weighed in on the interruption of reliable economic data produced by the government. U.S. agencies that produce key indicators such as the Consumer Price Index, monthly employment report, and retail sales figures have suspended or reduced many of their operations due to a lack of funding.

Global markets and central banks are also affected, Tilly told the Spanish-language news outlet.

“The lack of data directly affects international markets,” he said. “Investors depend on data to make their decisions, and this situation generates uncertainty in investment decisions.”