The Bureau of Labor Statistics would stop operating in the event of a government shutdown — all active data collection would cease, the Department of Labor, which oversees the BLS, said Monday in a release.
Why it matters: That could delay some important reports, like the monthly unemployment numbers and, notably, a crucial October release used to establish the raises America's seniors get on their monthly Social Security checks.
How it works: The monthly Consumer Price Index, a gauge of inflation, is used to calculate the annual COLA, or cost of living adjustment, that the more than 72.5 million recipients of Social Security and Disability Insurance get each year.
- The COLA is based on the change in CPI for wage earners — from the third quarter of 2024 through the third quarter of 2025. The final report of Q3 is due out Oct. 11.
- Recipients see the increase in their January check.
Zoom in: "A delay of the CPI release during October of each year might have an impact on the Cost of Living Adjustment announcement by the Social Security Administration," per the Labor Department.
- The Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on how such a delay might impact planned benefit increases in January.
- In the event of a shutdown, Social Security checks are still sent out — but benefit verification would stop.
- So would the issuance of new Social Security cards.
The big picture: Agencies are starting to release their shutdown plans, as the deadline looms ahead of the Tuesday midnight deadline.
- President Trump is set to hold a meeting in the White House on Monday with top congressional leaders to discuss a possible resolution.
Zoom out: This year's COLA is expected to land at 2.8% — a tick up from last year and a long way off from the big raises of 2021 and 2022, when inflation was running higher.
Editor's note: This story was updated to include information about Social Security checks.
