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President Trump put a freeze on hiring new federal workers after he took office in January 2025. This freeze has made it harder for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to gather accurate data on inflation. Thats a problem because the Social Security cost-of-living increase for 2026 depends on how much inflation rises between July and September 2025. If the BLS doesnt have enough staff to collect good data, the numbers they use might be off. If inflation is underestimated, people on Social Security could end up with smaller checks than they need. If its overestimated, they might get a bigger increase than necessary, which could hurt the programs finances in the long run.Trump also recently fired the head of the BLS, Erika McEntarfer, just after the agency released disappointing job numbers. The report showed fewer new jobs than expected and big downward revisions to earlier months. Trump suggested, without proof, that these changes were politically motivated, and he quickly had McEntarfer removed. This upset many economists, even some who worked under Trump, who said the decision was baseless and dangerous. They warned that firing a BLS leader over bad job numbers could make people question whether the agencys data is still fair and reliable.
Thats a big deal because the BLS is responsible for important numbers that affect everyday people especially those on Social Security. If people stop trusting inflation data, they might also stop trusting the yearly benefit increases they rely on. Even though Trump hasnt directly cut Social Security, his actions could slowly weaken the program by making the benefit adjustments less accurate over time. Many retirees already feel their Social Security payments havent kept up with the cost of living, and this situation could make things worse.
