Overview
- Government data show core inflation stabilizing even as December brought broad grocery increases and higher electricity and natural-gas costs, with health care exerting a growing influence.
- Gasoline, used cars, communication services and household services fell in price last month, tempering some of the pressure from essentials.
- Producer prices rose to 3% year over year in November, signaling persistent upstream cost pressures that could filter into consumer prices.
- The labor market moderated as the economy added 50,000 jobs in December and unemployment fell to 4.4%, while revisions pushed the three‑month average of job gains below zero.
- Responding to affordability concerns, President Trump promoted measures to lower household costs, including urging Venezuelan crude exports, ordering about $200 billion in mortgage bond purchases and calling for a temporary 10% cap on credit card interest rates.