Hi,
I've been wondering about the CPI numbers. I posted this comment on Linkedin, "
How many people involved in CPI before Trump and now? Who was the head before Trump and now? Is the work open to peer review, before and now? "
I have since read a June 11, 2025 WSJ article by Matt Grossman titled, "Senators Question Inflation Statistics". Of note from the article, "BLS has said staffing shortages forced it to stop collecting data in Lincoln, Neb, Provo, Utah and Buffalo, NY. BLS contends "the curtailment haven't distorted headline inflation data but may cause more volatility in slices of data that cover particular regions or type of goods..." The data are fed into the CPI
First, have there been other shortcuts besides listed above? Second, what has been the impact on the standard errors in the survey. Second, what has been the likely compounded error over and above one gets with smaller sectors?
Any peer reviews of the Methodology Sections? Thanks
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Mark Czarnolewski
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