Consumer Price Index Inflation Rose 4.25 Percent Over the Year in May

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Joint Economic Committee released its Monthly Inflation Update for May, showing that consumer prices continued to rise.

Headline Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) rose 0.47 percent in May and 4.25 percent over the past year. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.21 percent in May and 2.85 percent over the past year. Energy price inflation rose 3.88 percent in May and was up 23.54 percent over the past year. Food price inflation rose 0.16 percent in May and was up 3.08 percent over the past year. 

Inflation varied by region, with annual headline CPI inflation highest in the Midwest and Northeast at 5.0 percent, followed by the South at 3.9 percent, and the West at 3.5 percent.

Real earnings continued to decline over the past year. Real average weekly earnings for all employees decreased 0.40 percent, while real average hourly earnings decreased 0.71 percent.

For the full update, visit: https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/inflation-update

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