WASHINGTON – Consumer prices were unchanged in December, after a flat November, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy, were up 0.1% for the month, after rising 0.2% in November.
Economists polled by Thomson Reuters had projected that CPI and core consumer prices would each rise 0.1%.
The unchanged CPI level for December reflected a 0.2% climb in consumer food prices, and a 1.3% decline in consumer energy prices.
Consumer prices were up 3.0% for 12 months ending in December. This was the largest year over year increase since 2007. Core prices were up 2.2% for the same period.
Meanwhile, real average hourly earnings rose 0.2% in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, the department said in a separate release.
