Consumer Price Index Rises in September

The consumer price index rose 0.2% in September, the Labor Department said Oct. 30.

The increase in the government’s main inflation gauge followed a 0.1% increase in August, Labor said.

The core CPI rate, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.1%.

Economists’ forecast matched the 0.2% increase, Bloomberg News reported.

Consumer prices increased 1.2% in the 12 months through September, after a 1.5% year-over-year advance the prior month.

Energy costs increased 0.8% from a month earlier, and the average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.28 on Oct. 29, the lowest level this year, according to AAA, Bloomberg reported.

Nearly 60% of the CPI covers prices consumers pay for services. Climbing consumer prices could reflect an increase in demand for consumer goods, which increases demand for trucking services.