US Labor Department reducing CPI collection sample amid hiring freeze

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Labor Department's economic statistics arm said on Wednesday it was reducing the Consumer Price Index collection sample in areas across the country due to resource constraints, but the move should have "minimal impact" on the overall CPI data.

In a statement posted on its website, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the sample reduction and collection suspension could, however, increase the volatility of sub-national or item-specific indexes.

"BLS makes reductions when current resources can no longer support the collection effort," the agency said. "BLS will continue to evaluate survey operations."

The agency, which also compiles the closely watched employment report, has been impacted by a hiring freeze imposed by President Donald Trump as part of an unprecedented campaign to drastically reduce the size of government through mass layoffs and spending cuts.

https://www.reuters.com/business/us...-trump-era-hiring-freeze-wsj-says-2025-06-04/

Layoff enough people so that you can cook the books. From now on we should only expect positive news regarding CPI to make Trump look good since they no longer have the resources to collect true samples