[Due to Staff Shortages, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Faces Data Collection Challenges] Odaily Planet Daily News - For most of the past year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has faced staff shortages due to a federal government hiring freeze, which has impacted the collection of price data. This has forced the agency to rely more heavily on less accurate estimation methods for filling in certain data gaps. In February of this year, in cases requiring estimation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics used the so-called 'different-cell imputation' method in 40% of instances, compared to just 9% a year ago. However, the situation may improve: the Bureau of Labor Statistics has now posted job openings on its website, recruiting positions responsible for collecting price data in multiple regions across the country. (Jin10)