US consumer prices edged up 0.2 per cent in September, as the cost of energy goods and cars jumped but inflation elsewhere in the economy was muted, the US Labor Department said today.
Last month's increase in the Consumer Price Index, the main US inflation gauge, matched the forecasts of private economists in a Reuters survey.
However, the "core" CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, rose less than expected. It was up 0.1 per cent versus forecasts for a 0.2 per cent gain.
In August, the CPI rose 0.3 per cent, both overall and in the core index.
The US economy has seen uneven growth since emerging from last year's recession. Some economists think the Federal Reserve will need to reduce interest rates, already at a 40-year low of 1.75 per cent, to try to lift growth.
Analysts see tame inflation as one reason the Fed would feel comfortable easing rates if it felt such action were warranted to help the economy.
Over the past 12 months, the CPI has risen 1.5 per cent. The core CPI has increased 2.2 per cent.