BLS Staff Recalled From Furlough To Drop CPI, Save COLA

In a plot twist Sharper than Trump Twitter, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is grabbing furloughed staff to finish the October 15 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report — ironic because this number decides how much grandma's Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) will be. The shutdown began October 1, just as data collection wrapped up, forcing a government sanity pause that delayed key inflation intel. With Social Security COLA legally mandated before November 1 and the Fed eyeing interest rates, BLS is now running a furlough-athon to rescue salaries and sanity alike. Meanwhile, September’s unemployment stats remain in chaotic quarantine.

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Source: Axios | Published: 10/10/2025 | Author: Emily Peck