Employers' compensation costs were rising quickly at the start of the year, and the price of consumer goods continued its surge in March, according to new data that showed inflation pressures continued in the U.S. through the winter.
Driving the news: The Employment Cost Index, a measure of how much employers pay for their workers' wages and benefits, was up 1.4% in the first quarter and 4.5% over the last year. The personal consumption expenditures price index was up 0.9% in March, or 0.3% excluding volatile food and energy.
