NEW YORK – Consumer prices rose 0.3%, while the core rate grew 0.1% in September, nearly what economists expected, data released by the Labor Department Wednesday showed.
Economists polled by Thomson Reuters expected a 0.3% increase in CPI and a 0.2% core increase.
The rise in the overall price index was spurred by higher costs in energy and food categories. Gas prices and electricity costs increased. The food at home category showed its third monthly rise, while no major grocery store food group index decreased.
The core index rise was the smallest since March. Clothing fell after what Labor called “a series of sharp increases.” Prices also dropped for used cars and recreation.
For the year, CPI was up 3.9%, compared to a 3.8% gain in the 12 months ended in August, while the core rose 2.0% in the past 12 months, the same rate as posted in August.
