The consumer price index rose 3.2% from a year ago in July, a sign that inflation has lost at least some of its grip on the U.S. economy. Prices accelerated a seasonally adjusted 0.2% for the month, in line with the Dow Jones estimate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. However, the annual rate was slightly below the 3.3% forecast though higher than June.
Excluding volatile food and energy prices so-called core CPI also increased 0.2% for the month, matching the estimate and equating to a 12-month rate of 4.7%, the lowest since October 2021. The annual rate for the core also was slightly below a Dow Jones consensus estimate for 4.8%.
Almost all of the monthly inflation increase came from shelter costs, which rose 0.4% and were up 7.7% from a year ago. The BLS said more than 90% of the increase came from that category, which accounts for about one-third of the CPI weighting. Food prices climbed 0.2% on the month, and the BLS said energy increased just 0.1% even though crude oil prices surged during the month and prices at the pump jumped as well. Used vehicle prices declined 1.3% and medical care services were off 0.4%. Airline fares fell 8.1% on the month, the same as in June, and are down 18.6% from a year ago after surging in the early days of the Covid pandemic.
The comparatively tame inflation levels helped raise worker pay. Real wages increased 0.3% on the month and were up 1.1% from a year ago, the BLS said in a separate release.
Source: CNBC