Economists fear US inflation data less reliable

What happened

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday it has been collecting less data for its crucial consumer price index, the primary gauge of U.S. inflation, citing insufficient "resources."

In an email this week to economists who had raised concerns about "quirks" in the April CPI report, The Wall Street Journal reported, the BLS said it had indefinitely "reduced" its data collection "due to a staffing shortage in certain CPI cities" amid President Donald Trump's "hiring...