Annualized inflation eased to a 2.3 percent pace, the lowest since early 2021. But the month-to-month pace of inflation increased.

The CPI report was cooler than expected, although inflation is still higher than the Federal Reserve's 2% annual goal.

Inflation slowed to the lowest point in four years last month, but progress in reining it in will likely end there as higher tariffs start to push up the cost of consumer goods. The consumer price index climbed 2.

Because it's based on third-quarter inflation, it's impossible to predict the 2026 COLA with any degree of accuracy. Because of the ongoing tariff back-and-forth, as well as a generally slowing U.S. economy, the inflation rate on the back end of the year is more uncertain than it usually is.

Inflation eased in April with drops in gas and egg prices, but ODU's Bob McNab warns tariffs could drive prices back up this summer.

Inflation retreated again in April on the back of lower prices for consumer staples like groceries and gasoline, and other items such as used cars and clothing. The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, rose 2.3% in April from 12 months earlier, down from 2.4% in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.

Shelter costs, the consumer price index’s measure of how much people pay for housing, were up again last month. The sector, a persistently inflationary category, is proving a headache for economists and Fed officials looking to rein in price growth.