WASHINGTON - U.S. consumer prices jumped 0.6% in July as gasoline prices continued to rise.The Labor Department reported Wednesday that the increase last month in its consumer price index matched a 0.6% rise in June.
The uptick was about twice what economists expected. But inflation remains in check: Consumer prices are up just 1% over the past year.Gasoline prices rose 5.3% from June to July but are down 20.3% in the past 12 months as the coronavirus recession kept many Americans from driving.Food prices dipped 0.4%, the first drop since April 2019.