WASHINGTON - The consumer price index rose 0.2% in September, in line with economists' estimates, the Labor Department reported today.
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%.
Energy prices increased 0.6% as increases in gasoline offset a decline in natural gas prices.
The food index declined 0.1%, the sixth decline in the last eight months. Prices for food at home, or grocery goods, fell 0.3%.
Economists polled by Thomson Reuters expected CPI to increase 0.2% and for core CPI to increase 0.1%, according to the median estimate.
Total consumer prices fell 1.3% for the year ending in September. Core prices increased 1.5% in the period. Total prices increased 0.4% in August as core prices increased 0.1%.
In a separate report, real average hourly earnings fell 0.1% in September, the third decline in four months.
