Longest federal government shutdown meant data was only collected for second half of November
US prices rose 2.7% in the year to November, according to federal data released a day after Donald Trump claimed they were falling “very fast” on his watch.
The latest consumer price index, released on Wednesday morning, was down from 3% in September, and short of economists’ expectations of about 3.1% for last month.
It comes amid questions over the strength of the US economy. The longest US federal government shutdown in history halted collection of key data. There was no inflation report for October, and data was only collected for the second half of November.
It’s masked by the decline in energy prices, which are manipulated by oil-producing countries to achieve political outcomes: raise energy prices while Democrats are in power, lower them when Trump gets in. That makes it look like he’s made the economy better.