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.
On an annual basis, inflation rose 1.1 percent. That was down from the 1.2 percent rise the Labor Department reported during the 12 months ending October 31. The core inflation rate picked up 0.8% over the last year.
US Inflation Calculator Site Updates
The buying power of the U.S. dollar can be compared between any dates from 1913 to 2010, as the US Inflation Calculator has been updated with November’s data. The following inflation rates and data pages were also updated:
- Historic Consumer Index Data
- Inflation Rates
- Historical Inflation Rates
- Rate of Inflation, Annual Averages
- CPI Release Schedule
For a succinct report on November and annual consumer prices, read US Annual Inflation at 1.1%.
The following is the major portion of the Consumer Price Index Summary as released by the Labor Department:
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1 percent in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.1 percent before seasonal adjustment.
The indexes for food, energy, and all items less food and energy all increased slightly in November. The index for food at home rose in November after being unchanged in October, with the indexes for eggs and nonalcoholic beverages both rising notably. Although the index for gasoline rose, the index for household energy declined and the increase in the energy index was the smallest in five months.
The index for all items less food and energy rose in November after being unchanged the previous three months. Increases in the indexes for shelter and airline fares accounted for most of the rise, while the indexes for new vehicles, used cars and trucks, and household furnishings and operations all declined.
Over the last 12 months, the index for all items less food and energy has risen 0.8 percent. The energy index has risen 3.9 percent over that span with the gasoline index up 7.3 percent but the household energy index down 0.2 percent. The food index has risen 1.5 percent, with the food at home index up 1.7 percent.
Food
The food index rose 0.2 percent in November after a 0.1 percent increase in October. The index for food away from home rose 0.1 percent while the food at home index rose 0.3 percent. Among the six major grocery store food groups that comprise the food at home index, the index for nonalcoholic beverages posted the largest increase, at 0.8 percent. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 0.5 percent, due mostly to a 6.6 percent increase in the index for eggs. The index for cereals and bakery products rose 0.4 percent, and the index for other food at home advanced 0.1 percent. The index for dairy and related products, which rose 1.1 percent in October, was unchanged in November. The only major grocery store food group index to decline in November was fruits and vegetables, which fell 0.2 percent after a 0.7 percent decline in October. Within that group, the index for fresh fruits rose 2.0 percent but the fresh vegetables index fell 2.0 percent. Over the past year, the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs has risen 5.8 percent and the dairy and related products index has increased 3.8 percent. The other grocery store food groups posted much smaller changes.
Energy
The energy index rose 0.2 percent in November after a 2.6 percent increase in October. The gasoline index, which rose 4.6 percent in October, increased 0.7 percent in November. This was its fifth consecutive monthly increase, but the smallest of the five. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices rose 2.0 percent in November.) In contrast, the index for household energy declined in November, falling 0.4 percent. The index for natural gas fell 5.7 percent and more than offset a 0.9 percent increase in the index for electricity and a 4.2 percent increase in the index for fuel oil. The natural gas index has declined 4.8 percent over the past year, though the other energy components have increased.
All items less food and energy
The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in November, its first increase since July. The index for shelter rose 0.1 percent in November, the same increase as the previous month. The rent index rose 0.2 percent, its largest increase since March 2009, while the index for owners’ equivalent rent rose 0.1 percent and the lodging away from home index declined 1.2 percent. The index for airline fares increased 3.0 percent in November, its largest increase in over two years. The medical care index rose 0.1 percent in November, the same increase as in October, with the indexes for medical care commodities rising 0.2 percent and the medical care services index increasing 0.1 percent. Several indexes turned up in November after declining in recent months. The index for personal care rose 0.5 percent in November following a 0.3 percent decrease in October, and the apparel index rose 0.2 percent after declining in each of the three previous months. Partially offsetting these increases were declines in the index for new vehicles, which fell 0.4 percent in November, and used cars and trucks, which fell 0.5 percent.
The index for household furnishings and operations also declined, falling 0.2 percent. The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.8 percent over the last 12 months. The shelter index has gone up 0.2 percent over that time period, the medical care index has risen 3.2 percent, and the index for used cars and trucks has increased 6.0 percent. In contrast, the indexes for household furnishings and operations has declined, falling 2.5 percent, and the new vehicles index has fallen 0.4 percent. The apparel and recreation indexes have decreased as well, falling 0.8 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.