Wholesale Inflation Flat, but Core Prices Rise

Washington, DC, March 14, 2008—Wholesale inflation met expectations in February, the Labor Department said, but core inflation rose more than expected.

Wholesale prices rose 0.3 percent in February, but without food and energy it rose 0.5 percent.

Energy prices rose 0.8 percent, less than the 1.5 percent growth in January, the Labor Department report said.

Natural gas prices rose 5.7 percent after growing 0.7 percent in the January.

Food prices, which had surged1.7 percent in January, fell 0.5 percent, the biggest decline since last May.