October's inflation reading is now a published result, not the forecast in circulation before 8:30 a.m. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said consumer prices rose 0.4%, according to CNBC, Fox Business, and the New York Times. The increase was smaller than September's 0.6% and larger than the 0.3% economists expected. Core prices, which exclude food and energy, rose 0.3%, above a 0.2% forecast.
The report still has no official comparison with October 2025. Last year's shutdown canceled that survey, so the BLS did not publish an annual rate. The Times calculated that prices were around 4% higher than a year earlier, up from 3.7% in September, and said the missing month may slightly exaggerate the figure. Fox quoted an economist putting the implied rate near 4%. Those estimates are not the BLS annual index.
The Times said average hourly earnings rose 3.1% over the year, below its roughly 4% price calculation. The release did not change an individual paycheck.
Does 0.4% mean your own costs rose 0.4% in October? No. It is the national consumer price index. The new Nov. 10 facts are a 0.4% monthly increase, above the 0.3% forecast, and no official year-ago rate from the BLS.