Inflation slowed over a year in August in the United States, but accelerated again over a month, according to the PCE index, one of the measures of inflation, published Friday by the Department of Commerce and which is favored by the Fed.
Consumer prices rose 6.2% in August year on year. The increase is less strong than that of 6.4% recorded the previous month, according to an upwardly revised figure also published on Friday.
Over one month, however, prices, which had contracted by 0.1% between June and July, rose again in August, by 0.3% compared to July, despite the 5.5% drop in prices gasoline, which had flared up because of the war in Ukraine.
Analysts expected a further rise in prices compared to July, but expected only +0.2%.
The PCE inflation index is the one favored by the US central bank (Fed).
Another measure, the CPI index, is a reference, in particular for the indexation of pensions, and is published earlier in the month.
This index showed an almost general increase in prices in August, with the exception of gasoline, and slowed much less than expected, to 8.3% over one year against 8.5% the previous month. Over one month, however, prices had increased by 0.1%, whereas they had remained stable in July compared to June.
The Commerce Department also indicated that household income increased by 0.3% in August, as in July, while they increased their spending by 0.4% (compared to -0.2% in July). .
/ATS