US Core CPI Eases to Four-Year Low in Shutdown-Hit Report (1)

Underlying US inflation rose in November at the slowest annual pace since early 2021, an unexpected improvement in a report muddled by the government shutdown.

The core consumer price index, which excludes the often-volatile food and energy categories, increased 2.6% in November from a year ago, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Thursday. The overall CPI climbed 2.7% in November from a year ago.

The longest-ever government shutdown prevented the BLS from collecting much of the October price data. That not only limited the agency’s ability to determine month-over-month changes for the broader measures of inflation, but ...