U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recruits part-time jobs to collect information for CPI data

Huobi HTX reported that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is recruiting price data collectors to collect data for a key inflation indicator. Due to the loss of staff, the indicator is increasingly relying on a statistical calculation method to fill the data gap. The agency has released recruitment information for 25 part-time economic assistants across the United States, and is responsible for collecting price data for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Its work locations cover major metropolis such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago. These positions are essential for obtaining price information from local businesses. "If these positions can be filled quickly, the proportion of estimated prices in CPI is likely to drop significantly in the coming months, which will significantly reduce the error range of current estimates," said O'Mer Sharif, president of Inflation Insights LLC, an inflation research firm. BLS said in June this year that it has begun suspending price collection efforts in three metropolitan areas because the agency lacks sufficient resources in these areas.