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             Reports: US Consumer Outlook Improves, Inflation Rises

   by VOA News

   Reports published Friday show U.S. consumers becoming more optimistic
   while inflation rose a bit from very low levels.

   Data from University of Michigan's surveys of consumers show they were
   encouraged by the improving outlook for jobs and lower gasoline prices.

   Those energy prices have been bouncing upward a bit recently, and that
   helped the Labor Department's measure of inflation at the wholesales
   level rise half of one percent, which is the fastest pace in nearly
   three years. Outside the volatile areas of food and energy inflation
   rose just six-tenths of a percent over the past year.

   The reports are part of the data that top officials of the U.S. central
   bank will consider next week as they debate how soon and how much to
   raise the key interest rate.

   Economists at the PNC Bank say today's modest amount of inflation is
   one of the reasons that the Federal Reserve are not likely to raise
   interest rates until September.
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   ation-rises/2819304.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-consumer-outlook-improves-and-inflation-rises/2819304.html