U.S. producer prices surge 6.0% April

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said on May 13 that its producer price index for final demand rose 1.4% in April from March, seasonally adjusted, and 6.0% from a year earlier. The monthly increase followed gains of 0.7% in March and 0.6% in February, and the 12-month rise was the largest since December 2022. The report tracks prices received by domestic producers and is watched for signs of pipeline inflation before goods and services reach consumers. April’s increase was broad, with services and goods both moving higher. ### Which parts of producer prices drove April’s jump? Final demand services rose 1.2% in April, and final demand goods increased 2.0%, the BLS said. Nearly 60% of the overall monthly increase came from services, according to the agency’s release. Gasoline prices jumped 15.6% in April and accounted for more than 40% of the increase in final demand goods, the BLS said. (bls.gov) Energy prices for final demand goods rose 7.8% in the month, while foods increased 0.2% and core goods excluding food and energy climbed 0.7%. Transportation and warehousing services rose 5.0% in April, trade services increased 2.7%, and other services edged up 0.1%, according to the BLS latest-numbers page. (bls.gov) Within those categories, truck transportation of freight rose 8.1%, legal services increased 0.9%, and airline passenger services gained 1.0%. ### How unusual was the April increase? (bls.gov) The 1.4% monthly increase was the largest since March 2022, when final demand prices rose 1.7%, the BLS said. On a 12-month basis, the 6.0% increase was the biggest since a 6.4% rise in December 2022. April’s reading extended a run of firmer producer inflation after the index rose 4.0% in the 12 months through March 2026, according to the agency’s March and April releases. (bls.gov) The step-up from March to April marked a notable acceleration in the year-over-year measure. ### What did the report show on core producer inflation? The index for final demand less foods, energy, and trade services rose 0.9% in April after increasing 0.4% in March, the BLS said. (bls.gov) Over the 12 months ended in April, that measure advanced 4.4%. That core measure is one of the gauges economists use to assess underlying producer-price pressures because it removes some volatile categories and trade margins. (bls.gov) The BLS report publishes it alongside the headline series and other breakdowns for goods and services. ### How does this compare with consumer inflation? The Bureau of Labor Statistics said separately that the consumer price index rose 0.6% in April from March and 3.8% from a year earlier. (bls.gov) Core consumer prices excluding food and energy increased 0.4% on the month and 2.8% on the year. The producer-price report and the consumer-price report measure different parts of the economy. (bls.gov) PPI reflects prices received by producers, while CPI measures prices paid by urban consumers, according to the BLS releases. ### Where can readers find the next update? The BLS producer price index homepage says the next release, covering May 2026, is scheduled for June 11, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. (bls.gov) Eastern Time. The agency posts the release, tables and supplemental files on its producer price index pages. (bls.gov 1) (bls.gov 2)