US October inflation, jobs data may never be released, says White House
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Nov 12 that the October consumer price index and jobs reports will “likely never” be released.
PHOTO: EPA
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- White House says October CPI and jobs reports may not be published due to the record 43-day government shutdown.
- Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accuses Democrats of potentially "permanently" harming the federal statistical system.
- Delayed data could distort October figures, and economists warn some data may be lost if not logged promptly.
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WASHINGTON - Official US data on how consumer inflation and the jobs market fared in October may never be published, the White House said on Nov 12, citing the longest government shutdown
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of potentially “permanently” harming the federal statistical system as the stoppage entered its 43rd day – a record period that paralysed Washington and left hundreds of thousands of workers unpaid.
Ms Leavitt told reporters that the October consumer price index (CPI) and jobs reports will “likely never” be released.
“All of that economic data release will be permanently impaired, leaving our policymakers at the Fed flying blind at a critical period,” she added, referring to the US Federal Reserve.
Republicans and Democrats have each blamed the other party for the shutdown, which paused the collection and release of various indicators used by policymakers and businesses to gauge the health of the world’s biggest economy.
The central bank taps federal data releases – among others – as officials mull the appropriate timings to raise and lower interest rates.
As of Nov 12, Congress looked set to end the shutdown, with the House of Representatives expected to approve
The government had originally planned to release October CPI data on the morning of Nov 13.
It released September consumer inflation numbers days behind schedule in October, but only after recalling some furloughed staff to produce the figures.
Other reports had instead been put on ice, and economists have warned that delays could distort October data. They cautioned that such data could even be lost if the numbers were not logged in a timely fashion.
Federal workers could ask people to recount economic conditions once the shutdown ends, but this proves tricky if the delay is too long. AFP
