Updated October 24, 2025 at 9:31 AM EDT

Annual inflation rose less than expected in September, according to a crucial report published Friday, nine days later than normal due to the government shutdown.

Consumer prices rose 3.0% in September from a year ago, slightly below forecasters' expectations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.3%, cooling slightly from the 0.4% inflation reported in August.

Overall, the inflation data likely add fuel to expectations that the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by another quarter percentage point at its policy meeting later this month — its second consecutive cut.

But the Fed is missing other key economic data since most BLS workers were furloughed at the beginning of the month, wh

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