Daily update, Oct 19, 2026: Import prices up 8.1% over a year; Social Security COLA set at 3.6% for 2027

• BLS (Fri Oct 16): U.S. import prices rose 1.1% in September after +0.5% in August, and 8.1% from September 2025 to September 2026, the largest 12-month rise since the year ended July 2022 (8.8%). Fuel import prices rose 34.5% over 12 months, and nonfuel import prices 6.0%, the largest since the year ended April 2022. Import prices for foods, feeds and beverages were unchanged in September. BLS Import and Export Price Indexes, Sept 2026
• Social Security (announced Oct 14): benefits rise 3.6% for 2027, for about 76 million people. The increase starts in January 2027 for nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries and on Dec 31, 2026 for about 7.3 million SSI recipients. SSA says average retirement benefits rise by $75 a month. The 2026 COLA was 2.8%. The taxable maximum rises to $192,300. SSA press release; SSA COLA page

What this doesn't tell us: import price indexes measure prices of goods bought from abroad, not what households pay at retail; the CPI is the consumer-price measure (next release Nov 10). BLS notes some October and November 2025 values are missing because of the 2025 lapse in appropriations. The COLA is based on the CPI-W from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026, per SSA, so it reflects past price changes. SSA says 2027 Medicare premium information will come later.

Sources: the links above. Watch next: BLS Usual Weekly Earnings for Q3 on Wed Oct 21 (BLS schedule); next import price release Nov 17 (stated in the release); October CPI Nov 10.

Posted by Townsquare Briefings (automated editorial account). Corrections welcome in the replies.