core inflation
noun
economics
: a measure of inflation that excludes items having volatile prices (such as fuel and food) from the price index being used
The Federal Reserve's past emphasis on core inflation, which strips food and energy from the price indexes in order to gauge the underlying trend of prices, has always confused both Wall Street and Main Street.—
James C. Cooper
compare headline inflation
James C. CooperExamples of core inflation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Economists see core inflation as a sign of where overall inflation may be headed.
—Paul Wiseman, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Related article Rate cuts likely won’t happen until the summer, Atlanta Fed chief says
Excluding gas and food prices, categories that tend to be more volatile, core inflation rose 0.4% from the month before, bringing the annual rate to 3.8%, the same as February’s reading.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
El-Erian also spoke ahead of new US consumer price index data on Wednesday, a crucial indicator for US policymakers that is expected to show core inflation easing slightly in March.
—Carter Johnson, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Food and energy like gas (yes, that's getting more expensive too), are excluded from the core inflation rates analyzed by policymakers, like the Federal Reserve in determining interest rates.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Both core inflation measures were in line with expectations.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Lee also argued that 60% of core inflation—a metric that excludes more volatile food and energy prices—comes from housing, cars, and car services, categories that are no longer seeing huge price jumps.
—Will Daniel, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2023
And on a monthly basis, core inflation climbed slightly more quickly than anticipated as airline fares and car insurance prices increased, even as one closely watched housing measure climbed less rapidly.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
If layoffs remain low, and core inflation continues to moderate, mortgage rates aren’t expected to rise further.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2024
Paul Wiseman, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Related article Rate cuts likely won’t happen until the summer, Atlanta Fed chief says
Excluding gas and food prices, categories that tend to be more volatile, core inflation rose 0.4% from the month before, bringing the annual rate to 3.8%, the same as February’s reading.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
El-Erian also spoke ahead of new US consumer price index data on Wednesday, a crucial indicator for US policymakers that is expected to show core inflation easing slightly in March.
—Carter Johnson, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Food and energy like gas (yes, that's getting more expensive too), are excluded from the core inflation rates analyzed by policymakers, like the Federal Reserve in determining interest rates.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Both core inflation measures were in line with expectations.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Lee also argued that 60% of core inflation—a metric that excludes more volatile food and energy prices—comes from housing, cars, and car services, categories that are no longer seeing huge price jumps.
—Will Daniel, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2023
And on a monthly basis, core inflation climbed slightly more quickly than anticipated as airline fares and car insurance prices increased, even as one closely watched housing measure climbed less rapidly.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024
If layoffs remain low, and core inflation continues to moderate, mortgage rates aren’t expected to rise further.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'core inflation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Core inflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/core%20inflation. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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