Consumer Price Index Rises 0.4%

The consumer price index rose 0.4% in January, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The gain in the government’s main inflation gauge followed a revised 0.4% increase in December that was higher than previous reported.

The increase was higher than economists’ estimates of a 0.3% increase. The so-called core rate excluding food and energy increased 0.2%, the largest increase since October 2009.

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.