.S. March CPI up 0.6%, core rate up 0.4% By Rex Nutting WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. consumer prices jumped a seasonally adjusted 0.6% in March, with core prices increasing a larger-than-expected 0.4%, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Energy, clothing and hotel prices increased during the month, offsetting falling prices for new cars and prescription drugs. It was the largest gain in the core rate since August 2002. The figures were worse than expected by Wall Street economists, who were forecasting a 0.5% rise in the headline CPI and a tame 0.2% gain in the core rate. The consumer price index has risen 3.1% in the past 12 months, compared with 3% last month. Core prices, which exclude food and energy prices, have risen 2.3% in the past 12 months, down from 2.4% a month ago.
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