The arguably more important measure of core inflation, which excludes price changes in the often volatile food and energy categories, increased 3.3% year-over-year in January, higher than forecasts of 3.1%. And core prices rose 0.4% from December to January, compared to estimates of 0.3%.

Inflation heated up more than expected in January, as prices for groceries, housing and energy all rose for Americans in early 2025, complicating President Donald Trump’s agenda.

On Wednesday the Labor Department is expected to report that in January the consumer price index rose 2.9% from a year ago, according to economists surveyed by FactSet. If accurate, it would be unchanged from December and up from a 3 1/2 year low of 2.4% in September.