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 quality of the inflation figures just as they are being closely watched for the impact of tariffs.

The department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics , which produces the monthly consumer price index , the most closely watched inflation measure, said Wednesday that it is “reducing sample in areas across the country” and added that it stopped colle