Inflation Rises to 1.9 Percent in March

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBIARX0Q7E.html

LONDON (AP) - Price increases in airfares and staple foods pushed consumer prices higher in March, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday.
The Consumer Price Index increased to 1.9 percent in March, up 0.3 percentage point from February.

The increase took the annualized inflation rate to its highest level since May 1998, when it reached 2.1 percent, the office said. The rise takes inflation closer to the government's 2 percent target, and was higher than the 1.7 percent annual rate forecast by many analysts.

The largest effect on the figures, which included the Easter vacation weekend, came from transport, with airfares increasing over the period. Another big impact came from price increases in food, mainly for milk and vegetables, with supply shortages reported for some fresh produce.

more

[Mr.Green93]

1. Time to bring back

the 'Misery Index'.

[Mr.Green93]

13. Bush Economic Malaise

BEM

[indepat]

2. Is there a soul in America who doesn't believe the official inflation rate

has, for a long period of time, consistently and grossly understated the real increase in the cost of living for most Americans?

[TahitiNut]

4. It tracks the value of the dollar, not the cost of living.

The illusion that it's supposed to reflect the cost of living is based on an imperfect understanding regarding the labor compensation as a component of the "market basket" of goods and services. While it's also somewhat simplistic, the perceived cost of living tends to increase when increases in the CPI exceed increases in labor compensation. It's almost inarguable that's the case today.

What's most important it to avoid being a victim of the myth of the 'average.' Such metrics as the CPI and the PPI and others are an arithmetic/statistical distribution to all of the wealth enjoyed by some - but sadly it is not matched by a real distribution of the (iconic) common weal. When Bill Gates' fortune increases by $10 billion, the additional millions of children in poverty do not feel their bellies fill, no matter what the statistics say. Likewise, when Bill Gates' fortune decreases by $10 billion, he does not go unclothed, unsheltered, or unfed.

[nolabels]

12. And of course this under the assumption a actual importance of value......

can be established and placed on such goods and services. This rate of inflation also does not measure quality of life issues.
Yea, sure you or I may have an ample supply of toilet paper in the closet but was it worth that extra few acres of forest to put it there?

[cliss]

5. Your hunch is correct.

When these people slithered up the steps to the White House in 2000, they did more than just change leadership.

I personally believe that they got in and altered reporting statistics in many departments. I noticed it mostly in the Labor Department, where they supposedly keep track of unemployment figures. They almost never matched with my figures. Another completely bogus area was the Pentagon budget and the spending on Iraq.

Think of black mold, creeping along the corners of the walls. Over time, the black mold spreads to closets, underneath the toilet. That's what this administration reminds me of.

[Toots]

3. I don't know about where you live but where I live prices have gone up

more than 2% over the last year. I would like to know of any one item that has remained the same price or if gone up in price only gone up by 2%. and another thing. If goods go up by 2% this month and go up by 2% next month is that a 4% increase? If inflation is 1.9% in March and something similar the rest of the months wouldn't that be close to 24% annually? I guess I don't get how they figure inflation on a monthly and/or yearly basis.

[Moderator]

6. kick to combine

[rfranklin]

7. U.S. March CPI increases 0.6%

U.S. March CPI increases 0.6%
Core rate rises 0.4%, the biggest increase since Aug. 2002

By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. consumer prices jumped a seasonally adjusted 0.6% in March, with core prices increasing a larger-than-expected 0.4%, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.

Energy, clothing and hotel prices increased during the month, offsetting falling prices for new cars and prescription drugs.

It was the largest gain in the core rate since August 2002. It was the largest increase in overall consumer prices since October.

--more--
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid={226E2C4A-92CD-467A-B616-5202676D2FE0}&siteid=

[leftchick]

8. AP: Inflation Surge Is Biggest in Five Months

I was Shocked at my grocery bill on Monday! Shocked! :wow:



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=716&e=3&u=/ap/20050420/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy

WASHINGTON - Consumer prices jumped 0.6 percent in March, the biggest inflation surge in five months, as the costs of energy, clothing and airline fares all rose sharply.


The Labor Department said last month's increase in the Consumer Price Index, the most closely watched inflation gauge, followed a 0.4 percent rise in February and left consumer inflation rising at an annual rate of 4.3 percent in the first three months of this year. That was a full percentage point above the 3.3 percent rise in prices for all of 2004.


The new report showed that even outside of food and energy, there were significant price pressures last month. The so-called core rate of inflation rose by a worrisome 0.4 percent in March, double what economists had expected, reflecting higher prices for clothing, hotel rooms and airline tickets.


The government's new report on inflation showed significantly higher price pressures than had been observed in Tuesday's report on wholesale inflation, which showed a similar overall increase of 0.7 percent, reflecting a sharp jump in energy prices, but only a tiny 0.1 percent increase in prices outside of energy and food

[ClintonTyree]

10. What's Greenspan going to do now?

The Stock Market is tumbling, inflation fears are rising.. Is he going to lower interest rates? :rofl: He's running out of tricks to prop up this anemic economy. Wall Street's reaction could be interesting, although I imagine they'll just ignore it.

[ClintonTyree]

9. Falling prices for prescription drugs?

What country was this poll taken in again? Historically, prescription drug prices have blown past every other sector in price increases. I'm going to have to read that entire article now.... ;) I haven't got anything better to do this morning anyway.

[bemildred]

11. Dupe, never mind. nt