Energy costs drive prices: the inflation rate in America rises surprisingly to 5.4 percent

In the United States of America, consumer price increases accelerated again in September.

The annual inflation rate rose from 5.3 percent in the previous month to 5.4 percent, as the Department of Labor announced in Washington on Wednesday.

Economists had expected an unchanged rate on average.

With the rise, inflation in the US returned to the level of the summer months of June and July, when the rate had reached its highest level since 2008.

In the largest economy in the world, inflation is still well above the inflation target of the US Federal Reserve, which is aiming for two percent.

However, the Fed mainly blames temporary factors for the high rate.

In particular, inflation is driven by high energy prices.

Here the ministry reported a year-on-year increase of almost 25 percent for September.

Compared to the previous month, consumer prices rose by 0.4 percent in September, which is also stronger than expected.

Economists had only expected 0.3 percent.

Core inflation, excluding components that often fluctuate in price, such as energy and food, was 4.0 percent compared with the same month last year.

Economists expected this