A sharp drop in energy costs helped keep prices at the wholesale level unchanged in August vs. July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported.
According to BLS, while food costs went up 1.1 percent, energy costs fell 1 percent.
Still, over the 13 months ended Aug. 31 the producer price index rose 6.5 percent, BLS added.
Also this hour, the Census Bureau reported that "retail and food services sales" were "virtually unchanged" in August vs. July — but were up 7.2 percent from August 2010.
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