Inflation accelerated last month to 3.7 percent, a clear sign that prices remain elevated as midterm elections approach. The upcoming government report on consumer costs arrives at a moment when affordability concerns heavily define the political landscape.
Economists surveyed by data provider FactSet expected consumer prices to increase 3.6 percent in September compared with a year earlier, up from 3.4 percent in August. On a monthly basis, prices are forecast to rise 0.6 percent from August to September, up from 0.4 percent the previous month and the largest jump since April.
