CPI Falls for First Time This Year

The consumer price index fell in August for the first time this year in August, dipping 0.1%, the Labor Department said Wednesday.

The downturn followed July’s 0.1% increase. The core CPI excluding food and energy rose 2.1%, Labor said.

Economists had forecast no change in the CPI, Bloomberg reported.
 
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.