Workers' Earnings Fall, Consumer Prices Rise

U.S. July Consumer Prices Rise 0.5%; Core Rises 0.1% (Update1) ListenListen

Aug. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Prices paid by U.S. consumers rose 0.5 percent in July, the most in three months, paced by surging fuel costs, a government report showed. Excluding energy and food, the increase was less than expected, signaling fuel costs have yet to stoke inflation.

The rise in the consumer price index followed no change in June, the Labor Department said today in Washington. So-called core prices rose 0.1 percent for a third month, limited by the biggest drop in new vehicle prices in three decades. Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG joined General Motors Corp. in offering employee discounts to all buyers.