US Inflation Remains at 3.6%, Consumer Prices Decline 0.2% in June 2011
Consumer prices declined in June 2011 for the first time in a year as energy costs dropped by the biggest amount since 2008, the latest US inflation figures from the government revealed Friday.
All was not rosy, however, as core US inflation climbed faster than expected due to higher prices in other goods and services. Americans continue to pay more for rent, cloths, used cars and trunks and medical care.
Consumer prices declined 0.2 percent in June, a level that was in line with most forecasts. Read more
US Inflation Rate Quickens to 3.6%, Consumer Prices Rise 0.2% in May 2011
The cost of living in the US rose more than expected in May 2011 as US inflation picked up speed, according to the latest consumer price figures released by the government. Americans paid more for food, cars, clothing and recreation, although the cost of energy retreated as gas prices fell for the first time since last June.
Consumer prices rose 3.6 percent in the 12 months ending May 2011 after a 3.2 percent annual reading in April when prices at the pump were rising sharply. The year-over-year pick-up was the largest since October 2008. The 12-month US inflation rate was as low as 1.1% as recently as November. And while gas prices fell last month, they are a strangling 36.9 percent higher than one year ago. Higher food prices burden consumers further. Read more
US Inflation Spikes 3.2%, Consumer Prices Up 0.4% in April 2011
US inflation raced at its fastest annual pace in two and a half years as the cost of energy and food drove consumer prices higher, according to the latest Consumer Prices Index (CPI) report published by the government on Friday, May 13.
Americans are paying more for goods and services for a tenth straight month as consumer prices increased 3.2 percent in the 12 months ending April 2011, the highest figure since October 2008. The annual rate was 1.1 percent as recently as November. The gain was greatly attributed to rising gasoline prices. Read more
US Inflation Hits 2.7% as March 2011 Consumer Prices Rise 0.5%
The cost of living climbed in March 2011 for a ninth straight month as Americans were hit with sharply higher food and energy prices that pushed the annual rate of US inflation up from 2.1% to 2.7%. However, consumer prices were relatively tame aside from food and energy, according to data published by the US Labor Department on Friday.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the government’s main mechanism for tracking US inflation, rose in line with most economists’ forecasts. Consumer prices climbed 0.5 percent in March 2011, matching the previous monthly increase which had registered as the largest since June 2009. Food and energy prices during the month rose 0.8 and 3.5 percent, respectively, as compared to increases of 0.6 and 3.4 percent in the prior month. Read more
US Inflation Surges, Consumer Prices Up 0.5% in February 2011
Americans paid more for goods and services in February as surging energy and food prices continued to lift US inflation, the US Labor Department said in a report published Thursday.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the government’s main barometer for tracking US inflation, rose higher than expected and continued a streak of sharp increases which began in December. Consumer prices climbed 0.5 percent in February 2011, the most since June 2009 when the monthly price index reached 0.9 percent. Many economists were forecasting an increase of 0.4 percent, matching January’s level. Read more
US Inflation Advances with Higher Consumer Prices in January 2011
The cost of living rose more than expected in January as higher food and energy prices pushed up US inflation, according to government data released Thursday.
Consumer prices rose 0.4 percent in January 2011, matching an adjusted increase in December and capping seven months of straight gains. Most analysts expected a consumer price ceiling of no more than 0.3 percent for the month.
More than two-thirds of the increase came from food and energy, the US Labor Department said. Food prices marked their biggest gains in over two years. The overall food index was up 0.5 percent in January 2011 as compared to 0.1 percent in the previous month. Over the past year, gasoline prices surged 13.4 percent. They were up 3.5 percent last month and also capped a string of seven monthly gains. Read more
US Inflation Jumps as Consumer Prices Climb in December 2010
Americans paid extra for nearly everything last month as the cost of living picked up more than expected, newly released US inflation data from the government shows.
Consumer prices advanced 0.5 percent in December 2010, capping six straight monthly gains. Many forecasters were pegging an inflation rate that hovered closer around 0.4 percent. Consumer prices were up 0.1 percent in November, but back then energy prices were in check as they had risen by the smallest amount in five months.
Most items the government tracks actually ticked only modesty higher in December 2010, but not energy. Prices at the pump soared. Gasoline jumped 8.5 percent in December 2010 versus a 0.7 percent increase during the previous month. Read more
Consumer Prices Edge Up in November 2010, Annual US Inflation Rate at 1.1%
The cost of living rose less than expected in November 2010 as energy prices climbed by their smallest amount since June, the government revealed Wednesday in its monthly report about the state of US inflation.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most closely watched barometer for US inflation, rose 0.1 percent in November 2010 following an increase of 0.2 percent in October — a level most economists had again expected for November. Consumer prices have risen for five straight months. Read more
US Inflation Calculator and Inflation Rates Updates in November
Consumer prices rose slightly in November but levels were moderated by cheaper energy, the Labor Department said Wednesday, December 15.
The government’s Consumer Price Index came in with an increase of 0.1 percent in November, which was down from the previous monthly gain of 0.2 percent. The Consumer Price Index is the key reading of inflation at the consumer level.
Core prices, which discount food and energy prices that tend to be volatile from month-to-month, advanced 0.1 percent as well. The level follows flat readings from between August and October. Read more
US Inflation Remains Tame, October 2010 Consumer Prices Rise 0.2%
US Inflation marched along slowly in October 2010 as Americans paid less for cars, trucks, clothing, tobacco, and natural gas, according to the latest consumer prices data released by the government on Wednesday.
Prices did rise modestly in October, however, thanks in large part to higher energy costs. But excluding those costs, the annual core US inflation rate increased by the smallest level since the government started tracking the data.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most closely watched indicator of US inflation, edged up 0.2 percent in October after an increase of 0.1 percent in September, the Labor Department said. Read more