Signs at the gas pumps tell the consumer price index story

Food prices changed little in May for Midwest consumers, but gasoline costs jumped higher, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Food prices actually slipped a minuscule 0.1 percent last month, but the consumer price index for energy costs vaulted 4.3 percent, largely because of an 8.5 percent hike in motor fuel prices.

The price index for all items, minus food and energy, was nearly unchanged, logging a 0.1 percent increase from April.

On a year-to-year basis, the bureau said, overall prices for Midwest consumers declined 0.8 percent. But shoppers did contend with a 1.2 percent increase in food costs, led by a 3.1 percent jump in the costs of food eaten away from home, such as in restaurants.

The most noticeable price change over the preceding 12 months was an 18.7 percent plummet in energy costs, driven by a whopping 27.8 percent drop in motor fuel prices — a trend that has been reversed in recent months.

Diane Stafford, dstafford@kcstar.com

This story was originally published June 19, 2015 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Signs at the gas pumps tell the consumer price index story."