Keeping Track: consumer prices

Food, housing, and health care costs up in June

Consumer prices edged up 0.2 percent in June, the Labor Department reported. Much of the rise in the consumer price index was attributed to hikes in the prices of housing, clothing, medical care, and food.

Notably, the cost of fruits and vegetables surged 1.4 percent.

Overall inflation might have been worse, were it not for a 0.9 percent drop in energy prices. Gasoline prices in particular fell 2.2 percent last month.

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