Post by : Badri Ariffin

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has cancelled the release of the October consumer price index, saying the recent government shutdown disrupted essential data collection and made it impossible to complete the report. The announcement came on Friday, November 21, marking a rare instance of the agency withholding a key monthly indicator.

According to the Bureau, some parts of the CPI depend on nonsurvey data sources rather than in-person or telephone surveys. While the BLS said it could retrieve most of these nonsurvey data sets after the shutdown, some gaps could not be filled retroactively, forcing the cancellation. Where recoverable, the Bureau will publish October figures alongside November data next month.

The shutdown’s impact extended to labour statistics as well. The BLS confirmed that October’s employment report has also been cancelled for the same reason. However, October non-farm payroll figures will still be issued, bundled with the November employment report on December 16. The unemployment rate for October, which relies on household surveys conducted within a fixed timeframe, will not be released at all.

The CPI process depends heavily on field visits to retailers—including supermarkets—and scheduled calls to households, making timely access essential for accurate reporting. Similar constraints affect employment surveys, many of which could not be conducted during the shutdown window.

The Bureau has also rescheduled other major releases. November’s CPI report, originally planned for December 10, will now come out on December 18. Meanwhile, the third-quarter Employment Cost Index, an important measure of labour costs, is set to be published on December 10 as planned.

#Business News #Economic