Consumer prices rose 3.7% over the 12 months ending in September, up from 3.4% in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. A 9.1% monthly jump in gasoline prices drove more than half of the increase.
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% in September on a seasonally adjusted basis after a 0.4% gain in August. The Daily Wire noted it is the last inflation report before the November midterm elections.
What went up and down
- Energy: Up 5.2% for the month and 20.4% over the year. Gasoline is up 34.2% from a year ago, and fuel oil rose 15.3% in September.
- Groceries: Food at home slipped 0.1% for the month. Beef fell 1.0% and milk fell 2.0%. Food prices overall were flat.
- Core prices: Prices outside food and energy rose 0.3% for the month and 2.6% over the year, up from 2.4% in August.
- Housing and travel: Shelter rose 0.4%. Airline fares rose 1.2% in September and are up 22.4% over the year.
What officials said
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week that inflation should move back toward the Federal Reserve’s 2% target once the conflict with Iran ends, The Daily Wire reported. “Once we get on the side of this Iran conflict, energy markets are going to be well supplied,” Bessent said.
The Fed raised its target rate range to 3.75%-4% in September, its first increase in more than three years, according to The Daily Wire. The central bank is expected to hold rates steady at its meeting later this month.
Notes for readers
The index tracks prices paid by urban consumers, who make up more than 90% of the U.S. population, according to BLS. It does not publish a separate index for Southeast Arkansas. The next report, for October, is set for Nov. 10.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index, September 2026, Oct. 14, 2026.
- The Daily Wire: Americans Get Final Inflation Report Before Midterms, Oct. 14, 2026.
File photo: Rick Obst, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (gas station price sign, Eugene, Oregon).
