Consumer Price Index Falls 0.5% in September; Core Gains 0.2%

.S. consumer prices in September posted their biggest decline since November, falling 0.5% after a 0.2% gain in August, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.

The so-called “core” consumer price index excluding food and energy rose 0.2%, Labor said, matching August’s increase.

Economists had expected the index to fall 0.3% from August.

The CPI is the government's broadest gauge of costs for goods and services. Almost 60% of the CPI covers prices consumers pay for services.

If consumer prices are climbing, it could reflect an increase in demand for consumer goods, which increases the demand for trucking services.