The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is recruiting part-time workers to collect information for the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is recruiting price data collectors to collect data for a key inflation indicator. Due to staff turnover, this indicator is increasingly relying on a statistical estimation method to fill the data gap. The agency has posted recruitment information for 25 part-time economic assistants nationwide, responsible for collecting price data for the Consumer Price Index, with work locations including major metropolitan areas such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Chicago. These positions are crucial for obtaining price information from local businesses. Omar Sharif, President of the inflation research firm Inflation Insights LLC, stated: "If these positions can be quickly filled, the estimated price ratios in the CPI in the coming months are likely to decrease significantly, which will significantly reduce the margin of error in current estimates." BLS announced in June of this year that it has begun suspending price collection work in three metropolitan areas because the agency lacks sufficient resources in those areas.