US EditionInflation data threatened by government hiring freeze as tariffs loom
- In April 2025, inflation in the United States rose by 0.2% on a monthly basis and 2.3% compared to the previous year, marking the slowest annual increase since 2021.
- These figures stemmed from a hiring freeze imposed by President Trump on January 20, which caused staffing shortages at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Due to reduced staff, the BLS cut back on price checks and data collection in key cities and relied on as much as 29% educated guesses to construct the Consumer Price Index.
- Erica Groshen, former BLS commissioner, noted that disbanding advisory panels could indicate attempts to manipulate data, while economists warn that lower data quality affects economic policies and everyday lives.
- These conditions raise concerns about the reliability of inflation data, implying possible impacts on government policies, tax brackets, and investor decisions until staffing and data collection normalize.
61 Articles
61 Articles
DOGE layoffs may have compromised the accuracy of government data | News Channel 3-12
By Alicia Wallace, CNN (CNN) — The Consumer Price Index is more than just the most widely used inflation gauge and a measurement of Americans’ purchasing power. Its robust data plays a key role in the US economy’s trajectory as well as monthly mortgage payments, Social Security checks, financial aid packages, business contracts, pay negotiations and curiosity salves for those who wonder what Kevin McCallister’s $19.83 grocery bill in “Home Alone…
Labor Department cuts inflation data amid hiring freeze
KEY TAKEAWAYS: Labor Department reduces inflation data collection due to hiring freeze Data collection halted in Lincoln, Provo, and Buffalo Economists worry about inflation data accuracy amid tariffs Hiring freeze may cause increased volatility in inflation reports The Labor Department has cut back on the inflation data it collects because of the Trump administration’s government hiring freeze, raising concerns among economists about the …
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