The producer price index increased just 0.2 percent last month, the Labor Department said yesterday. That's significant because that index had jumped 0.6 percent in March, setting off a few alarm bells. In the 12 months through April, the PPI increased 2.2 percent.
Some big changes between the two months: Wholesale energy prices rose 1.8 percent in April after jumping 5.6 percent in March. Goods prices increased 0.3 percent last month after surging 1.0 percent in March.
The producer-price index is a measure of the prices businesses receive for their goods and services. It measures things such as wholesale food prices, which fell 0.2 percent in April. It can be seen as sort of a precursor to consumer inflation.
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