Trump Administration Seeks Labor Stats Employees Amid Shutdown
The Trump administration is addressing data delays caused by the government shutdown by recalling employees from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These employees will work on the Consumer Price Index report, which is crucial for establishing the 2026 cost of living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security recipients.
The COLA announcement was initially set for October 15th, but it’s uncertain if that timeline still holds. An administration official mentioned that the data is anticipated before the November 1st deadline, when annual Social Security increases need to be disclosed.
The COLA is calculated based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and office workers for the third quarter of the year, covering July, August, and September. This figure is compared to the CPI-W from the same quarter in the previous year, and the difference will be the new COLA applied in the next year.
Current estimates suggest that the COLA might be around 2% for 2026, translating to an increase of about $54 per month for the average retiree. However, this amount can vary depending on each individual’s benefit and lifetime earnings, with average Social Security benefits differing across states.
According to analysis from a financial website, retirees in states with higher median incomes typically enjoy higher Social Security benefits. Hence, those in such states are likely to see the most significant increases. Here are the states projected to provide the largest raises in 2026, expressed as average monthly retirement benefits following the expected COLA:
- New Jersey: $2,172
- Connecticut: $2,159
- Delaware: $2,139
- New Hampshire: $2,121
- Maryland: $2,084
- Michigan: $2,067
- Washington: $2,061
- Minnesota: $2,053
- Massachusetts: $2,021
- Indiana: $2,016
Earlier this year, the average Social Security payment for retired workers first reached $2,000, marking a 4.55% rise from the previous year to $2,002.39.
