Inflation rose in March at a slower pace than expected but remained well above the Federal Reserve's goal as the central bank prepares to monitor the impact of tariffs on consumer prices in the weeks and months ahead. The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday said that the consumer price index (CPI) – a broad measure of how much everyday goods like gasoline, groceries and rent cost – decreased 0.1% in March compared with last month, while it was up 2.4% on an annual basis. Both of the figures were cooler than the estimates of LSEG economists, and represented a cooling from February, when it rose 0.2% on a monthly basis and headline inflation was 2.8%. So-called core prices, which include more volatile measurements of gasoline and food to better assess price growth trends, were up 0.1% from the prior month and 2.8% on an annual basis, cooler than expected. The headline figure was down from 3.1% a month ago, while the monthly core data ticked up from 0.2%. JPMORGAN CHASE CEO JAMIE DIMON ISSUES TARIFF WARNING IN ANNUAL LETTER 
The report showed that inflationary pressures in the U.S. economy remain persistent despite progress in bringing inflation closer to the Federal Reserve's 2% target in recent years. High inflation has created severe financial pressures for most U.S. households, which are forced to pay more for everyday necessities like food and rent. Price hikes are particularly difficult for lower-income Americans, because they tend to spend more of their already-stretched paycheck on necessities and have less flexibility to save money.
