US inflation eased slightly last month as gas prices fell, though some costs kept surging

A woman holding several shopping bags enters a subway station on Black Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in New York. On Tuesday, the Labor Department issues its report on inflation at the consumer level in November. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie, File)

U.S. inflation ticked down again last month, with cheaper gas helping further lighten the weight of consumer price increases in the United States.

At the same time, the latest data on consumer inflation showed that prices in some areas — services such as rents, restaurants and auto insurance — continued to rise uncomfortably fast.

Tuesday’s report from the Labor Department said the consumer price index rose just 0.1% from October to November. Compared with a year earlier, prices were up 3.1% in November, down from a 3.2% year-over-year rise in October.