Consumer Price Index Increases 0.5%

The consumer price index gained 0.5% in March, the Labor Department said Friday.

The gain in the government’s main inflation gauge increased by the same amount as the previous month, which was the largest gain since June 2009.

The increase matched economists’ estimates. The so-called core rate excluding food and energy increased 0.1%, lower than economists’ forecasts of a 0.2% increase, which was last month's change.

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.