Wisevoter
U.S.

October Inflation Report Delayed by Shutdown

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish October consumer price data at 8:30 a.m. ET after a federal shutdown suspended collection.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Inflation

Isometric editorial illustration of a wooden pallet stacked with sealed plain cardboard boxes in a concrete bay, one box slightly open, evoking a delayed data release.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish October consumer price data at 8:30 a.m. ET after a federal shutdown halted collection, leaving no October inflation reading. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Are rising prices making it harder for your household to get by?

No October 2025 consumer price index release was published because CPI data collection was suspended during the federal government shutdown. The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its October meeting while the data gap persisted.

Why it matters

The missing release leaves a gap in the most widely watched measure of inflation for American households and policymakers. Officials and traders are relying on September figures, which showed prices rising 0.6% month over month, as they weigh the next move on rates.

The September CPI report showed prices up 0.6% month over month and core prices up 0.3%, while energy rose 20.4% year over year and gas jumped 34.2%, the largest increase since May. October figures are expected to show a 0.3% overall rise and 0.2% in core prices, but the official release has not yet been published.

The players

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the federal agency that compiles and publishes the consumer price index and other key national economic data.

Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States, which sets monetary policy and targets a 2% inflation goal.

The details

CPI data collection was suspended during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not publish an October 2025 report. In the November 2025 report, the agency published non-survey estimates for October gas and vehicle prices, but the full index remained unpublished. The BLS will release October data at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Timeline

  1. 2025 federal government shutdown suspended CPI data collection.

  2. November 2025: BLS published non-survey October gas and vehicle estimates.

  3. October 2026: Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its October meeting.

  4. November 10, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET: Scheduled release of the October CPI report.

Macro View

The delayed report comes as the Federal Reserve measures inflation against its 2% goal, with September's 0.6% monthly rise running well above that pace on an annualized basis. Officials are now weighing rate decisions without the October data that would normally inform them.

Households watching grocery and fuel costs will not get the October update until the report is released, so current budgets rely on September's 0.6% monthly rise and the 34.2% jump in gas prices. Traders expecting a rate hike at the coming Fed meeting may shift borrowing costs for mortgages and loans in the meantime.

The takeaway

The missing October data means readers should track the scheduled November release for the clearest picture of where prices stand. Watching energy and gas costs in the meantime can help anticipate how monthly budgets may shift.

What happens next

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish the October consumer price index report at 8:30 a.m. ET on November 10, 2026.

Further reading

For broader context on how price pressures are measured, see Inflation coverage on Wisevoter.

Live Poll

Are rising prices making it harder for your household to get by?