The federal government recalled some furloughed workers specifically to produce the inflation report, which plays a key role for Social Security beneficiaries.

Economists expect prices to have risen 3.1% in September, which would mark a slight increase from a 2.9% year-over-year increase recorded a month prior. The anticipated reading would amount to the highest inflation since May 2024.

The Federal Reserve is almost universally viewed as on track to cut interest rates next week, despite inflation running at a 3% annual rate in September — well above the Fed’s 2% target.

Economists think inflation around the U.S. continued to climb in September, edging farther away from the Fed's 2% annual target.

The cost of living got even more expensive for Americans last month, with prices rising at the fastest pace since the start of the year.

Yet there are reasons to be cautious about where inflation may be headed beyond the next handful of months. According to Steven Blitz, managing director and chief U.S. economist at GlobalData TS Lombard,

Understanding the complex relationships between gold and rising prices could reshape your investment strategy.

Better-than-expected inflation data Friday morning sparked an end-of-week rally in stocks, sending the Dow, S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite soaring to fresh record highs.