Data released by the US Department of Labor on the 14th showed that the US consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.5% month-on-month in January this year, the highest level since October 2022, mainly affected by the rise in housing costs and energy prices. The data showed that the inflation situation in the United States rebounded in January, with CPI rising 6.4% year on year. Both the month-on-month and year-on-year growth exceeded the market consensus. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, core CPI rose 0.4% month-on-month and 5.6% year-on-year, higher than expected. Specifically, the housing cost, which accounted for about one third of CPI in January, rose 0.7% month-on-month and 7.9% year-on-year, which was the main factor driving up the overall price increase of the month. At the same time, energy prices rose 2% month-on-month, including gasoline prices rose 2.4% month-on-month, reversing the previous continuous decline. Food prices rose 0.5% month-on-month. Analysts believe that in the near future, the strong demand of the US labor market has brought upward risks to the salary level and service price of employees, resulting in the continued inflation pressure in the US. High inflation may continue to push the U.S. economy into recession, prompting the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to a higher level than expected. (Xinhua News Agency)