WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Joint Economic Committee released its Monthly Inflation Update for February. The headline Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) ticked up slightly ending at 2.41 percent year over year in February, up from 2.39 percent in January. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, was 2.46 percent year over year, compared to 2.50 percent in January. This does not include upticks in energy prices due to military action in the Middle East.

Year over year, food price inflation was 3.06 percent, up 0.45 percentage points, and energy price inflation was 0.48 percent, up by 0.65 percentage points. 

Regionally, inflation ended lower across the nation from January to February. CPI inflation was the highest in the Midwest (2.8 percent) followed by the Northeast and West both ending at 2.7 percent, and then the South with the lowest inflation of 1.8 percent.

Year over year, real weekly earnings for all employees increased by 1.67 percent, a 0.98 percentage point increase and hourly earnings ended up 1.42 percent, a 0.16 percentage point increase.

For the full update, visit: https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/inflation-update

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