By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. consumer prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in May as the cost of food, clothing, autos and housing all climbed sharply, according to the latest government data. The consumer price index advanced despite the first decline in energy prices in 11 months. So-called core prices, which strip out volatile food and energy costs, increased 0.3%, the largest one-month gain since July 2008, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast CPI to be unchanged, with a 0.2% increase in the core rate. Consumer prices have risen 3.6% over the past year, the biggest 12-month increase since October 2008.
