December 15, 2006 8:45 AM, EST

November Consumer Price Index Unchanged

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

.S. consumer prices were unchanged in November following a 0.5% dip in October, the Labor Department said Friday.

The so-called “core” consumer price index excluding food and energy was also unchanged, from October, Labor said.

Economists had expected both the CPI and the core rate to rise by 0.2%, 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.

16673