Feds to bring back furloughed employees for inflation report — despite gov't shutdown

Core Insights - The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September on October 24, despite the ongoing government shutdown, which has lasted for ten days [1][4] - The release of the CPI report is crucial for calculating Social Security payments, as it directly impacts the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) [7][8] - The BLS has called back a limited number of furloughed employees to assist in the analysis of the already collected consumer price data [3][11] Economic Context - The government shutdown has led to a pause in all BLS operations, affecting the collection and analysis of economic data, including employment reports [4][11] - Economists and policymakers are closely monitoring employment data, particularly as some Federal Reserve officials cite a slowing labor market as a reason for potential interest rate cuts [5] Social Security Implications - The Social Security Administration is legally required to publish the COLA adjustment by November 1, which is based on the CPI data from the third quarter [8] - A projected 2.7% COLA increase for 2026 would raise average monthly payments for retirees by $54, to $2,062, following a 2.5% increase this year for over 72.5 million beneficiaries [10]