Alternative data suggest uneven inflation amid Trump’s numbers skepticism

The authors of a new study say inflation calculations remain ‘robust and defensible’ despite critics’ claims of bias. Photograph: Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Donald Trump has a lot of questions about the official government statistics these days. And while his skepticism of bad numbers may look cynical and political, there are reasons to look at the numbers cautiously.

According to some reports, staffing shortages “have forced the US federal government to scale back the price checks it uses to calculate the inflation rate” with the labor department reportedly admitting that it had to “cut back” on its price checking nationwide and even suspend its surveys in some cities due to manpower shortages.