Department of Labor Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Annual Adjustments for 2026
Labor Department, Employment and Training Administration, Workers' Compensation Programs Office, Office of the Secretary, Wage and Hour Division, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration
Official abstract: As required by statute, the Department of Labor annually publishes a final rule updating the civil monetary penalties it assesses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) did not publish its October 2025 Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) data due to a lapse in funding. Because the relevant law requires that annual penalty adjustments be based specifically on October CPI-U data--with no alternative calculation allowed--the 2026 adjustment is cancelled entirely.