Delayed Release of US Consumer Report Causes Unrest

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has postponed the release of its annual report on consumer expenditures. This announcement, made late Friday on the BLS website, lacked an explanation for the delay, thus raising further doubts about the agency's current operations. The latest development continues a series of events since President Donald Trump dismissed the then BLS head Erika McEntarfer last month. Her removal followed a report from her office that reported weak job growth for July and significant downward revisions for the two preceding months. These actions have raised concerns about the reliability of key economic data in the U.S., particularly regarding the possibility of political influence on an agency previously considered strictly nonpartisan. Since McEntarfer's departure, labor market figures have been revised further, prompting renewed criticism from the White House. There, the recent preliminary benchmark adjustments on September 9 were described as "another error in the long history of inaccuracies and incompetence at BLS." Experts, however, emphasize that monthly adjustments to employment figures are routine, as the BLS continues to gather additional information from businesses that take longer to respond to surveys. These revisions ultimately contribute to the accuracy of the data. Additionally, the agency continues to face financial constraints and staffing issues, challenges that were known prior to Trump's tenure but have worsened during his second term.