Consumer prices up 0.5 percent

Wednesday, May 18, 2005 | 9:03 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Consumer prices climbed by 0.5 percent in April, reflecting the biggest rise in energy prices in two years, along with more expensive air fares and food costs.

The increase in the consumer price index, the government's most closely watched inflation barometer, followed a 0.6 percent advance in March, the Labor Department reported today.

While the latest snapshot showed consumer prices rising, it also suggested that inflation is not on the brink of spiraling out of control.

Excluding energy and food prices, which can swing widely from month to month, "core" inflation was flat in April. That's a big improvement from March, when core inflation shot up by 0.4 percent, the largest advance in 2 1/2 years.

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