U.S. Consumer Prices Jumped in June by the Most in 26 Years
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Prices increased 5 percent in the 12 months to June, the most since May 1991. They were forecast to climb 4.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the survey median. The core rate increased 2.4 percent from June 2007, also more than forecast.
Energy expenses jumped 6.6 percent, the biggest gain since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. Gasoline prices soared 10.1 and fuel oil jumped 10.4 percent.
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Rents which, make up almost 40 percent of the core CPI, also accelerated. A category designed to track rental prices rose 0.3 percent after a 0.1 percent gain in May. Today’s figures also showed wages decreased 0.9 percent in June after adjusting for inflation, the biggest drop since August 1984, and were down 2.4 percent over the last 12 months. The drop in buying power is one reason economists forecast consumer spending will slow.
The continued increase of inflation is a serious problem. Eventually the federal reserve needs to take serious action (raising the discount rate). And the politicians need to stop raising taxes on the future to spend more and more every year. Their continued financial irresponsibility is a large part of the reason for the declining value of the dollar – along with the voters that keep electing those proposing large increases in spending while pushing off paying for that spending to future tax increases.
Related: inflation investment risk – Food Price Inflation is Quite High – Bernanke warns of inflation – Politicians Again Raising Taxes On Your Children – USA Federal Debt Now $516,348 Per Household
U.S. producer prices rise 1.8% in June
Over the past 12 months, the producer price index, which tracks inflation at the wholesale level, gained 9.2% — the largest year-over-year gain since June 1981.
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Inflation is an increasing problem in the US, internationally, and in emerging markets. The fed is in a hard spot with growth slowing and inflation rising.