Consumer Price Index Rises 0.2% in August; Matches 'Core' Gain

September 15, 2006 8:30 AM, EDT

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.S. consumer prices rose 0.2% in August, following a 0.4% gain in July, the Labor Department reported Friday.

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

Economists had expected the index to rise 0.2% from July.

Core prices increased 2.8% from August 2005, Bloomberg said.

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.