🌎 It’s World Press Freedom Day. Stand with Marketplace and our independent journalism. Donate now

Tight jobs lead to higher rents, which lead to core inflation increase

Dec 13, 2018
The Consumer Price Index, if you take out food and energy, showed prices rising slightly. It climbed 0.2 percent, so year-over-year prices have climbed 2.2 percent. One of the reasons for the price hikes in November was rent. And you might not be happy to hear it, but it could well be another sign of […]

Here's how the Federal Reserve determines the inflation rate

Oct 11, 2018
The Consumer Price Index tracks the average price change over time for a “basket”  of goods and services. The CPI takes into account things like food, transportation and health care. If the CPI goes up, that’s considered an indication that the inflation rate is rising. But when the Federal Reserve calculates the inflation rate, it […]
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Here's how inflation works

Feb 14, 2018
Inflation is up more than expected, according to the consumer price index.
A view of the Federal Reserve building.
KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Markets wait for latest inflation number

Feb 13, 2018
The Labor Department will be out tomorrow with one measure of inflation: the consumer price index. You can bet a lot of people are going be paying special attention to that number, because investors have made it clear they’re worried about rising prices. Meanwhile, although it turns out we can measure inflation, it is really […]

With low unemployment and latest numbers on consumer prices, questions about inflation

Jan 12, 2018
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.1 percent in December from the previous month. The “core” inflation rate — excluding volatile food and energy prices — rose 0.3 percent month-to-month. That’s the largest increase since January 2017, and was higher than economists expected. But does it mean we’re beginning to see a serious uptick in inflation?  […]

Data shows drug prices spiked seven percent last year

Oct 18, 2016
While consumer spending grew 1.5 percent last year, drug prices rose dramatically.
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty Images

Inflation is only mostly dead

Aug 16, 2016
There's a big difference.
Bye boy, have fun trying to raise the consumer price index!

For public good, not for profit.

Why the CPI doesn't figure in the Fed's calculations

May 22, 2015
Consumer prices ticked up just a 10th of a percent last month, the Labor Department reports.