Inflation may be inching up again. The consumer-price index, which measures what Americans pay for everything from shelter to sweets, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent in June from the prior month, the Labor Department said Friday. It had climbed 0.2 percent in May and 0.4 percent in April.
Excluding the often-volatile categories of food and energy, consumer prices also rose 0.2 percent in June. Measuring from a year earlier, prices excluding food and energy climbed 2.3 percent in June, matching the highest level since May 2012.
While energy prices remain well below their levels from last June, costs for shelter, medical care, transportation services and clothing all have risen sharply. Shelter costs, which account for about one-third of CPI, are up 3.5 percent from a year earlier, the strongest rise since September 2007.
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