The Bay Area inflation rate jumped during August as consumer prices pushed higher for a wide range of items, notably food and medical expenses, according to a new federal government report released Thursday.
The region’s consumer price index rose by an annual pace of 2.5% during August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The index measures shifts in cost for everyday items such as food, gasoline and shelter.
The 2.5% increase over the one-year period ending in August was higher than the previous reports for the region, which consisted of a 1.3% increase in April and a 1.5% rise in consumer prices in June, the report showed.
Nationwide, consumer prices surged 2.9% higher on a yearly basis. In both June and July, the government reported inflation increased 2.7% in each month. The nationwide inflation report is released each month, while the Bay Area report is released only every other month.
In the Bay Area, food prices jumped by 3.5% in August and medical costs rose 3.4%. The cost of food at home increased by 4.3%, while the cost of food away from home rose 2.7%.
Gasoline prices in the Bay Area fell 11.9%, while apparel prices plunged 11%, the government report showed.
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