WASHINGTON — The consumer price index rose 0.2% in September, in line with economists’ estimates, the Labor Department reported yesterday.
Core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy prices, increased 0.2% for the month. The core index rose despite the first decline in prices for rent and owners’ equivalent rent since 1992.
In August, CPI rose an unrevised 0.4%, while the core was up an unrevised 0.1%.
Economists polled by Thomson Reuters expected the index to increase 0.2% and for core CPI to increase 0.1%, according to the median estimate.
In a separate report, real average hourly earnings fell 0.1% in September, the third decline in four months.
