Consumer Price Index Unchanged in January

The consumer price index was unchanged in January, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.

The flat reading of the main inflation gauge compared with December matched economists’ median forecast, Bloomberg News reported.

The core CPI rate, which excludes food and energy, edged up 0.1%.

Costs rose 1.7% last year, compared with a 3% increase in 2011.

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.