Potential Government Shutdown Threatens Decades-Long Streak of Timely Inflation Data Release

WASHINGTON – The White House announced on Friday that due to the current government shutdown, crucial inflation data will likely not be released next month, marking the first occurrence of this kind in over 70 years. This absence of data will leave both Wall Street and the Federal Reserve without key insights into consumer prices.

The Trump administration revealed in an email that surveyors are unable to conduct fieldwork, leading to the anticipated lack of an upcoming inflation report. This unprecedented situation highlights the first time in history that such a report will not be released.

While some inflation data is collected electronically, the majority of it is gathered through in-person visits by government employees to stores nationwide. Due to a hiring freeze implemented by the Trump administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, responsible for compiling the inflation report, has already been forced to reduce its data collection efforts, leaving some urban areas without surveyors.

This announcement follows the delayed release of September’s inflation figures, which indicated a slight uptick in prices but fell short of many economists’ expectations. The report, initially postponed by nine days, was based on data collected before the shutdown commenced on October 1.

Historically, during government shutdowns, the consumer price index, a key metric for measuring inflation, has been compiled from partial data. However, according to the Labor Department, it may now be too late to even gather this limited information.