by Rob Wile
NBC News
Price growth sped up a bit in November, a sign that efforts to cool inflation may be stalling.
Over the past 12 months, the consumer price index climbed 2.7%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. That was in line with expectations but higher than the 2.6% annual rate in October. On a monthly basis, the index rose 0.3%, faster than the 0.2% rate in the previous month.
Excluding more volatile items like food and gas, the “core” measure of inflation climbed 3.3% on a 12-month basis, the same as in October. On a monthly basis, the core index rose 0.3%, matching its pace for the past three months. The monthly pace of price increases picked up for new cars and apparel, while shelter costs and the category that includes auto insurance showed declines.