Consumer Prices Inched Up in September
Washington, DC, October 11, 2018-The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1% in September on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.2% in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
Over the last 12 months, the all items index rose 2.3% before seasonal adjustment.
The shelter index continued to rise and accounted for over half of the seasonally adjusted monthly increase in the all items index. The energy index declined 0.5% in September after rising in August. The food index was unchanged in September, as an increase in the index for food away from home offset a decline in the food at home index.
The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1% in September, the same increase as in August. The shelter index increased 0.2%, and the indexes for apparel, motor vehicle insurance, recreation, and airline fares also rose. The medical care index increased as well, though its components were mixed. The index for used cars and trucks, which fell sharply, and the new vehicles index were among the indexes that declined in September.
The all items index rose 2.3% for the 12 months ending September, a smaller increase than the 2.7% increase for the 12 months ending August.
The energy index rose 4.8% over the last year, a notably smaller increase than the 10.2% increase for the 12 month period ending August. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.2% for the 12 months ending September and the food index increased 1.4%; these were both the same rate of increase as for the 12 months ending August.