by John Carney
Breitbart.com
Prices paid to U.S. producers of goods and services rose at a rapid clip in November, the latest sign that progress on bringing down inflation has stalled and inflation may be in danger of rising again.
The producer price index—or PPI—rose 0.4 percent November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Thursday morning. That was one-tenth of a point higher than expected. In addition, the prior month’s figure was revised up from an increase of 0.2 percent to 0.3 percent.
Compared with a year ago, the producer price index is up three percent, the largest year-over-year gain since February 2023.
The PPI measures a basket of prices paid to U.S. producers of goods and services. It differs from the better-known consumer price index but both are measures of inflation. The PPI excludes imports but includes exports, while the CPI does the opposite. PPI also includes prices paid by governments and businesses, two purchasers excluded by the CPI’s narrower focus on consumers.