The Consumer Price Index increased 0.2% while the “core CPI” index jumped 0.35 in August on a seasonally adjusted basis. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index rose 1.1%.
The energy index was unchanged in August. Major energy component indexes were mixed however, as increases in the indexes for natural gas and electricity offset declines in the indexes for gas and fuel oil.
The food index was also unchanged. The food-at-home index fell for the fourth consecutive month, which offset an increase in the food-away-from-home index.
Prices for all items less food and energy, the “core CPI,” increased 0.3% in August, the largest rise since February 2016. Prices for medical care commodities rose sharply during the month, increasing by 1.1%. Over the past year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 2.3%.
Read the BLS release.