December consumer prices down the most in 6 years

Washington

THE cost of living in the US declined in December by the most in six years, reflecting a plunge in energy costs that's keeping inflation from rising toward the Federal Reserve's goal.

The consumer-price index dropped 0.4 per cent, the biggest decline since December 2008, after falling 0.3 per cent in November, a Labor Department report showed on Friday in Washington. Excluding volatile food and fuel, the core measure was unchanged, failing to rise for only the second time since 2010.