Bureau of Labor Statistics reschedules 2024 consumer expenditures data with no reason

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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday said it was delaying the release of its annual consumer expenditures survey for 2024. The agency did not provide an explanation for the change.

The move comes at a time when the BLS has been under enormous scrutiny following the August firing of its chief by President Donald Trump. Concerns over the BLS' independence from political pressure have abounded, and the reliability of its data has been questioned.

The consumer expenditures data was set to be released on September 23 but will now be rescheduled to a later date.

"We will update users when more information is available," the BLS said in a brief statement on its website.

Trump last month removed Erika McEntarfer as BLS chief after the agency released a significantly weak July jobs report and a substantial downward revision to job growth in the prior two months. The President's move had sparked widespread concern among economists, investors, and experts.

The BLS is also responsible for collating and publishing inflation data, including the closely watched consumer price index (CPI) and the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index.

"The CEX delay is likely due to resource cuts, not meddling. BLS has lost lots of staff and expertise," Jed Kolko, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. CEX refers to the consumer expenditures survey.

"There are real and immediate threats to the U.S. statistical system. But be clear about the threats. Delaying CEX is not the same as, say, suppressing or fudging CPI to hide bad news," he said.

"To be clear: this is bad! An essential data release is being delayed without explanation, at a time when the Administration has expressed distrust in BLS data," Kolko added.

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