Mon Oct 13 04:50:00 UTC 2025: **Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:**
**Headline: Government Shutdown Forces Return of Key Labor Staff to Ensure Social Security Payments**
Washington, D.C. – The ongoing government shutdown is forcing the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to recall some staff members to compile the crucial Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, a key inflation gauge used to determine Social Security benefit adjustments. According to a Trump administration official, the move is necessary to ensure that Social Security payments are accurately adjusted for next year.
The CPI report, originally scheduled for release on October 15th, has been postponed to October 24th due to the shutdown, which began on October 1st and has effectively halted most BLS operations. According to the US Department of Labor’s contingency plans, only one employee was continuing to work full-time at the bureau during the shutdown.
The BLS emphasized the importance of releasing the CPI report, stating on its website that the report “allows the Social Security Administration to meet statutory deadlines to ensure the accurate and timely payment of benefits.”
The annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security beneficiaries is based on an inflation metric from the third quarter of the year, including September’s CPI data. Without this data, the annual increase to Social Security benefits, which takes effect in January, could be impacted. The Labor Department’s shutdown contingency plan also acknowledged the potential impact of a CPI delay on the COLA announcement.
More than 74 million people receive monthly Social Security payments, receiving a 2.5% COLA adjustment this year.
While the BLS will prioritize the CPI release, it has stated that no other releases will be rescheduled or produced until the government reopens. The agency previously did not release its monthly jobs report, which typically comes out on the first Friday of the month.
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