Inflation at the wholesale level rose 8.5% in September from a year earlier, the third straight decline though costs remain at painfully high levels.
The Oct. 12 report from the Labor Department also showed that the producer price index — which measures price changes before they reach the consumer — rose 0.4% in September from August, after two months of declines.
The September monthly increase was larger than expected and was pushed higher by a big increase in hotel room costs. Food costs also rose in September from August, after a slight drop the previous month.
