US data agency cancels October inflation report as Fed considers whether to cut rates

Construction outside the Marriner S Eccles Federal Reserve building during the renovation of the central bank's headquarters in Washington, DC on 30 July 2025. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The US federal government will not publish official data on inflation for October, depriving policymakers at the Federal Reserve of key information as they consider whether to cut interest rates.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics canceled the release of the closely watched consumer price index (CPI) for October, citing the government shutdown – the longest in history, before it ended earlier this month – and stating it could not “retroactively collect” the data required for the report.