September 2025 CPI Release Delayed Amid Government Shutdown, Impacting Economic Data

Washington D.C. – The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has rescheduled the release of the September 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report to Friday, October 24, 2025, at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time. This delay, along with the postponement of the crucial monthly jobs report, stems from a federal government shutdown, leaving economists and policymakers without critical economic indicators. The BLS stated that no other releases would be produced until the resumption of regular government services, with the CPI rescheduling specifically to allow the Social Security Administration to meet statutory deadlines.

The delay in September's economic data has raised concerns across financial markets and among federal officials. Federal Reserve officials, in particular, may need to determine interest rate adjustments without access to the full suite of BLS employment and inflation data. Sources indicate that the government shutdown could also impact the Bureau of Economic Analysis' initial estimate of third-quarter gross domestic product due on October 30.

The absence of official BLS reports forces reliance on alternative data sources, which often lack the comprehensive scope and gravitas of government-issued statistics. Economist Erica Groshen, a former BLS commissioner, highlighted the severity, stating, "The Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury, financial markets, businesses and households will be flying blind." She noted that this situation is particularly precarious if the economy is at the beginning of a recession.

Venture capitalist Sheel Mohnot, a General Partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures, commented on the situation, acknowledging the impact on data-dependent projects. Mohnot tweeted, "> love when people make websites like his fun project that updates automatically from BLS data (which is currently delayed so it doesn't have Sept data) https://t.co/z4TaS9dSKN." His remark underscores how the BLS data delay directly affects applications and tools built to leverage this information.

The postponement of these vital economic reports comes at a sensitive time, with earlier data confirming a slowdown in the job market and concerns about inflation. While the Labor Department is recalling some employees to finalize the inflation data, the broader implications of the data blackout for economic decision-making remain a significant concern.