WASHINGTON (Realist English). The inflation rate cooled in May to its lowest annual rate in more than two years, likely taking pressure off the Federal Reserve to continue raising interest rates, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
The consumer price index, which measures changes in a multitude of goods and services, increased just 0.1% for the month, bringing the annual level down to 4% from 4.9% in April. That 12-month increase was the smallest since March 2021, when inflation was just beginning to rise to what would become the highest in 41 years.
Although the 4% jump in headline inflation represents a continued slowdown, it’s still significantly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
The Fed has been raising interest rates to try to bring down inflation, but the central bank risks sending the economy into a recession by hiking rates too high too fast. The Fed has signaled it could pause its hikes, saying it would continue to assess incoming data ahead of the June meeting.
