Inflation

The entrance to the Labor Department is seen near the Capitol in Washington, May 7, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Inflation data threatened by government hiring freeze as tariffs loom

The Labor Department has cut back on the inflation data it collects because of the Trump administration’s government hiring freeze, raising concerns among economists about the quality of the inflation figures just as they are being closely watched for the impact of tariffs.

President Donald Trump talks to workers as he tours U.S. Steel Corporation's Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant, Friday, May 30, 2025, in West Mifflin, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump’s promised steel and aluminum tariffs go into effect

A view of the European currency Euro sculpture, at Germany's main financial district in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

Inflation slides to 1.9% in Europe, as worries shift from prices to Trump and tariffs

A shopper surveys goods on display in a Costco warehouse Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Lone Tree, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

US inflation gauge cools with little sign of tariff impact, so far

View of the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange from the Lookout viewing point, in London, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

UK inflation rises to its highest level since January 2024 after domestic bills spike

Federal Reserve leaves key rate unchanged as it sees risk of higher prices and higher unemployment

The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday, brushing off President Donald Trump’s demands to lower borrowing costs, and said that the risks of both higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen, an unusual combination that puts the central bank in a difficult spot.

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Confusion reigns after Trump exempts electronics from new tariff regime | AP Explains

Argentina’s President Milei reacts as country to lift strict currency controls with help from IMF

Egg prices hit new high, defying Trump and expert predictions

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Fed minutes: Uncertainty ‘elevated’ as risks of higher inflation and unemployment rise

People arrive at the Reserve Bank of Australia in Sydney, Dec. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

Australian central bank reduces benchmark interest rate to 3.85% in second cut this year

Empty shopping carts are collected from the parking lot at Walmart store in Burbank, Calif., on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Trump’s massive import taxes haven’t done much economic damage — yet

A motorist fills up the tank of a vehicle at a Costco gasoline station late Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, in Sheridan, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

US consumer sentiment slides to 3-year lows as trade war raises inflation anxiety

Empty shopping carts are collected from the parking lot at Walmart store in Burbank, Calif., on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Under a cloud of tariffs, Walmart is the latest retailer to announce price hikes

Cashier Josh Jimenez rings up egg for sale at a grocery store on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

US egg prices fall for the first time in months but remain near record highs

Children's clothing sits stacked on a table for shoppers in a Costco warehouse Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Sheridan, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Inflation cooled again even as some tariffs took effect. But economists don’t expect that to last

Specialist Michael Pistillo works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Wall Street rises again as the S&P 500 erases its loss for 2025

A collection of Barbie dolls are placed into a cart in Bowling Green, Ky., on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. (Grace Ramey/Daily News via AP, File)

Two dolls instead of 30? Toys become the latest symbol of Trump’s trade war

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at the Federal Reserve in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Federal Reserve leaves key rate unchanged as it sees risk of higher prices and higher unemployment

Tomatoes imported from Mexico are for sale in a supermarket in Miami as the United States imposed 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, starting a trade war with its closest neighbors and allies Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Amid Cinco de Mayo celebrations, a tax on Mexican tomatoes looms

An Amazon truck drives in in Philadelphia, Friday, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)

Amazon posts solid first quarter earnings growth, but outlook is tempered by tariff uncertainty

Shipping containers are seen ready for transport at the Guangzhou Port in the Nansha district in southern China's Guangdong province on April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

Cheap parcels from China will no longer be duty-free. Here’s what it means for buyers and sellers

Shoppers move through a market in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Bao)

US inflation cools and Americans step up spending as they brace for tariff impact

Containers of Heinz ketchup on the shelf of a market, in Barre, Vt., March 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

Kraft Heinz lowers sales outlook for the year, weighed down by consumer uncertainty and tariffs

Bottles of Mature Donghu vinegar imported from China, right, sit next to Heinz US made All Natural Apple Cider vinegar in an aisle at 99 Ranch Market, an Asian grocery store in Los Angeles Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Major companies face a difficult task in estimating the impact of tariffs on their business

People carry goods in the Eminonu commercial district of Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Turkey’s central bank hikes key interest rate to 46% amid political turmoil and global tariffs

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich frames buildings in London's financial area Canary Wharf, in London, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

UK inflation dips in March, potentially paving the way for another interest rate cut

Sales staffs work at an Apple shop in Hanoi, Vietnam Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)

Confusion reigns after Trump exempts electronics from new tariff regime. Here’s what we know

President Donald Trump gestures to reporters as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump team tries to project confidence and calm after his tariff moves rattled markets

The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are displayed at the Apple Fifth Avenue store, Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

Trump’s commerce secretary says new electronics tariff exemptions are temporary, chip tariffs coming

Argentina's President Javier Milei, left, and Economy Minister Luis Caputo attend the Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, Uruguay, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, File)

In key milestones for President Milei, Argentina secures IMF deal and ends most capital controls

Unsold 2025 Cooper hardtops and Countryman utility vehicles sit on display at a Mini dealership Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

US wholesale inflation fell last month but trade war threatens to reverse that trend

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins speaks with reporters at the White House, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US agriculture secretary praises Trump’s economic vision

A carton of eggs sit on a counter in the kitchen inside of 5 Rabanitos restaurant in Chicago, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

US egg prices increase to record high, dashing hopes of cheap eggs by Easter

A shopper checks eggs before he purchases at a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

Inflation fell last month as gas prices dropped sharply, a sign prices cooled before tariffs

The Federal Reserve, which is under construction, is seen, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Federal Reserve could be in ‘difficult’ spot with higher prices, slower hiring

Pedestrian and office buildings are reflected on a brokerage house's window as an electronic board displays Shanghai shares trading index in the Central Business District, in Beijing, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Trump hits back with a 125% tariff in escalating trade war with China

Brazilian coffee may become more expensive for American consumers after Trump’s tariffs

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at the SABEW Annual Conference Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing Annual Conference in Arlington, Va., Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Federal Reserve chief says Trump tariffs likely to raise inflation and slow US economic growth