Wholesale inflation in US declined last month, signaling that price pressures are still easing

By PAUL WISEMAN
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale inflation in the United States fell in December, further evidence that price pressures in the economy are easing. The government’s producer price index — which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers — declined 0.1% from November to December. Measured year over year, producer prices rose by a mild 1%. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core wholesale prices were unchanged from November and up 1.8% from a year earlier. Core inflation, by omitting prices that tend to fluctuate from month to month, is seen by many economists as a better guide to the direction of inflation.