To combat staffing shortages, the U.S. federal government has reduced the scope of price checks used to calculate the consumer price index (CPI), potentially compromising the accuracy of inflation reports. Key cities like Lincoln, Nebraska, and Provo, Utah have seen complete data gathering suspensions, with warnings from the Labor Department about increased volatility in regional cost-of-living assessments. Economists caution that this reduction comes at a critical time when inflation concerns are heightened due to economic factors like tariffs. While the department expects minimal overall impacts, the accuracy needed for navigating economic uncertainty is now in jeopardy.
Staffing shortages have prompted the federal government to cut back on price checks for the consumer price index, risking inaccurate inflation measures.
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