Wholesale prices in the United States were unchanged last month in another sign that inflation is returning to something close to normal after years of pressuring America’s households in the wake of COVID-19.

This was the smallest rise since February 2021 and is slighly above the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target. It is also far below the peak inflation rate of 9.1 percent in mid-2022. Despite the easing inflation, many Americans remain dissatisfied with consumer prices, which are still higher than pre-2021 levels.

Consumer prices rose 2.4 percent versus last year, ticking down from the pace of the previous month. It was less of a slowdown than economists had expected, but there was good news about housing costs.