June sees consumer prices go up

WASHINGTON » U.S. consumer prices increased 0.6% in June, after three months of declines, with a big jump in gasoline prices accounting for over half of the gain.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that the increase in its consumer price index followed declines of 0.4% in March, 0.8% in April and 0.1% in May as the hit to demand caused by the widespread shutdowns of the economy kept a lid on prices.

The June report showed that energy prices jumped 5.1% with gasoline costs surging 12.3%. However, even with that gain gasoline pump prices are 23.4% below where they were a year ago.

Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose a more modest 0.2% in June the first monthly increase since February.

Over the past 12 months, consumer prices have increased a modest 0.8% while core inflation is up just 1.2%.

That is well below the Federal Reserve’s 2% target for annual gains in inflation. Economists believe given the uncertain economic outlook with virus cases climbing again in many parts of the country, inflation pressures are likely to remain low for some time to come.

“Don’t be fooled by today’s jump in CPI prices as the longer downturn in the economy from the coronavirus second wave all but guarantees that inflation isn’t going anywhere,” said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at global financial group MUFG in New York.