US consumer prices declined 0.3 percent in
November, largely due to a drop in the cost of petrol that more than
offset price increases, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics said
on Friday.
The petrol index fell 7.4 per cent in November, resulting in the
decline in the seasonally adjusted all items index, it said in a
report. It is the first decline in the consumer price index since May
and it compares with an increase of 0.1 per cent in October.
So-called core inflation, which excludes the volatile prices for
energy and food, showed an increase of 0.1 per cent from October,
reflecting a hike in the cost of housing, cars, medical care,
clothing and airline fares. October's core inflation was 0.2 per
cent.
