Inflation at the wholesale level last month soared by the largest amount in more than 15 years, reflecting the surge in energy prices following the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
The Labor Department reported that wholesale prices jumped 1.9 percent in September, led by rising prices for gasoline, natural gas and home heating oil. Food prices, which had been declining, posted the biggest increase in 11 months as the price of eggs shot up by a record amount. Excluding the volatile energy and food sectors, the “core” rate of inflation also posted an increase of 0.3 percent after showing no increase at all in August.
