WASHINGTON -- Rising energy costs pushed U.S. consumer prices higher last month, though the increase was partly offset by tame prices for housing and discretionary-spending items.</br></br>The data should provide some comfort to Federal Reserve officials that high oil and commodity prices and the weak dollar aren't leading to higher underlying inflation.</br></br>The consumer-price index rose 0.3% in October, the Labor Department said, matching September's increase. The so-called core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, advanced 0.2% for a fifth straight month. Unrounded, core CPI increased 0.159%.</br></br>In a separate report, the Labor Department said the average weekly earnings of U.S. workers, adjusted for inflation, fell 0.2% in October, as wages failed to keep up with inflation.</br></br>Consumer prices in October were up 3.5% from a year earlier. Core CPI was up 2.2%. The gap between the two inflation measures could widen as higher energy prices keep pushing up overall inflation while softness in housing and auto prices keep underlying inflation in check.
This example is yes.