WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States rose in July after 12 straight months of declines, boosted by costlier housing. But excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core inflation rose just 0.2% from June, matching the smallest monthly increase in nearly two years.
The inflation figure the government reported Thursday showed that consumer prices increased 3.2% from a year earlier. That was up from a 3% annual rise in June, which was the lowest rate in more than two years. The July inflation figure remained far below last year’s peak of 9.1%, though still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
The Fed, economists and investors, though, pay particular attention to the core inflation figures for signs of where inflationary pressures might be headed. Thursday’s price data will be among the key barometers the Fed will weigh in deciding whether to continue raising interest rates. In its drive to tame inflation, the Fed has raised its benchmark rate 11 times since March 2022 to a 22-year high.