US consumer prices, jobless claims rise

US consumers paid more for a range of goods and services last month, and unemployment benefit applications jumped last week to the highest level in three months. The latest data offered a picture of an economy facing inflationary pressures and a depressed job market.
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in August, the labour department said on Thursday. That followed a 0.5% increase in July. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, core prices increased 0.2%. Prices for food, energy apartment rents, and clothing all increased.

Separately, the labour department said applications for unemployment benefits rose 11,000 to 428,000 last week. The four-week average rose for the fourth straight week to 419,500, the highest level in eight weeks

Posted in: US