Consumer Price Index Unchanged in December

The consumer price index was unchanged in December as fuel prices declined, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Economists had projected a 0.1% increase in the government’s main inflation gauge, Bloomberg reported.

The reading was also unchanged in November.

The core CPI rate excluding food and energy edged up 0.1%, Bloomberg said.

Almost 60% of the CPI covers prices consumers pay for services. If consumer prices are climbing, it could reflect an increase in demand for consumer goods, which increases the demand for trucking services.