The consumer price index, the cost shoppers pay for a wide range of goods and services, rose faster than expected in December but core items did not make the same jump, according to the latest report

While the overall consumer price index rose, the core measure that omits food and energy costs was below estimates.

US consumer inflation rose for a third straight month in December as energy prices rose, according to government data published Wednesday, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to pause rate cuts.

According to BLS, natural gas prices in the metro Atlanta area were up almost 15% while gasoline rose nearly 4%, though electricity costs fell 2.1%. The next look at the Atlanta area’s price trends will be published in March.

Entering 2025, models from forecasting companies like Trading Economics anticipate inflation rates between 2.4% and 2.9% between the end of 2024 and the start of 2026. Unfortunately, actually predicting inflation can be difficult, as rates can be affected by a variety of factors, including political climates and supply-chain interruptions.

The Consumer Price Index rose 2.9 percent from a year earlier, but a measure of underlying inflation was more encouraging.

Consumer inflation data came in slightly hotter than expected in December. Consumer prices were up 2.9% for the 12 months ended in December as compared to 2.7% in November, according to the latest Consumer Price Index data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a monthly basis, prices rose by 0.4%.

Inflation ended 2024 by moving slightly higher. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 0.4% increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consu

Crude oil prices rallied sharply following the release of better-than-expected US CPI data, fueled by optimism about potential Fed rate cuts.

The increase in the consumer price index for the 25-county region that includes Long Island was fueled in part by the cost of natural gas, electricity and housing.

Consumer price growth ticked up in December, a sign President-elect Donald Trump will inherit the inflation issues that dogged the Biden administration as he re-takes the White House next week.