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Inflation: Core CPI, Median CPI, 16% trimmed-mean CPI all below 1% YoY

By Anonymous

In addition to the CPI release this morning from the BLS, the Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI:

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% (1.1% annualized rate) in October. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index was virtually unchanged at 0.0% (0.6% annualized rate) during the month.
...
Over the last 12 months, the median CPI rose 0.5%, the trimmed-mean CPI rose 0.8%, the CPI rose 1.2%, and the CPI less food and energy rose 0.6%

So these three measures: core CPI, median CPI and trimmed-mean CPI, all increased less than 1% over the last 12 months. The indexes for rent and owners' equivalent rent both increased in October (some analysts blamed the disinflation trend on these measures of rent, but that wasn't true in October).

For the core CPI, the BLS noted:

Over the last 12 months, the index for all items less food and energy has risen 0.6 percent, the smallest 12-month increase in the history of the index, which dates to 1957

Click on graph for larger image in new window.

This graph shows these three measure of inflation on a year-over-year basis.

They all show that inflation has been falling, and that measured inflation is up less than 1% year-over-year.

Note: The Cleveland Fed has a discussion of a number of measures of inflation: Measuring Inflation

As far as disinflation, the U.S. is still tracking Japan in the '90s ...

Full post as published by Calculated Risk on November 17, 2010 (boomark / email).