Official Social Security COLA Expected in Late October
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is anticipated to release its September 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) data on Oct. 24, the federal agency announced Friday in a memo.
RELATED – Government Shutdown Could Sidetrack 2026 Social Security COLA Announcement
Sources at the BLS on Thursday stated that the agency would call back a small number of workers to facilitate the release of CPI data later this month. The data is utilized to calculate the annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which is used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to help benefits from losing purchasing power due to inflation.
“This release allows the Social Security Administration to meet statutory deadlines necessary to ensure the accurate and timely payment of benefits,” the BLS wrote in its announcement Friday.
Consumer Price Index data was expected to come out on Oct.15—to which then the official COLA for 2026 would also be published—but the ongoing federal government shutdown further delayed its release. Under federal law, the Social Security Administration must announce its official COLA for the next year by November.
Other government releases will not be “rescheduled or produced until the resumption of regular government services,” the BLS said.
The delay in the official COLA announcement comes at a point when Americans are struggling to afford expenses as day-to-day costs climb and as they consistently rely on Social Security to afford retirement needs. A report by the Transamerica Institute found that 69% of Americans expect Social Security to help fund retirement, and 32% assume they’ll depend on it as their primary source of funding.
Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of the Transamerica Institute, says workers feeling anxious over the delay could model past COLA figures to plan ahead.
“While the postponement of the COLA announcement adds uncertainty, individuals can gain a little clarity by reviewing their historical Social Security benefit adjustments,” said Collinson in a statement. “Typically the adjustment ranges from 1-6%, so those wondering about how this year’s adjustment will impact their finances can do some modeling, using this range, to prepare for different scenarios.”
Amanda Umpierrez is the Managing Editor of 401(k) Specialist magazine. She is a financial services reporter with nearly a decade of experience and a passion for telling stories and reporting news. She is originally from Queens, New York, but now resides in Denver, Colorado.
