Inflation in battleground state Pennsylvania remains higher than national average
foxbusiness.comRep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., discusses whether Kamala Harris is having a problem connecting with Pennsylvania voters on «Varney & Co.»
Battleground state Pennsylvania will be closely watched on Election Day, and Keystone State consumers are continuing to grapple with inflation higher than the national average as both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump campaign in the state on the eve of the election.
The Labor Department's consumer price index (CPI) – a broad measure of how much everyday goods like gasoline, groceries and rent cost – was up by 3.4% on an annual basis in September for the Bureau of Labor Statistics' mid-Atlantic region, which includes Pennsylvania. That figure is well above the national inflation rate of 2.4%.
Inflation has been particularly persistent in the Philadelphia metropolitan area over the last several years. The region is a key economic driver of the region and holds significant political sway in what's expected to be a closely contested election.
A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyzing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data found that consumers in the Philadelphia metro area experienced one of the highest increases in retail food prices during the inflation surge of 2021-2022.
INFLATION RISES 2.4% IN SEPTEMBER, ABOVE EXPECTATIONS
Consumers in Pennsylvania continue to face inflation higher than the national average. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
GAO's analysis concluded that food prices in Philadelphia rose 13.63% from 2021 to 2022, above the national average of 11.42%. That left Philadelphia with the third-highest food inflation of all U.S. cities – trailing only Detroit
Read more on foxbusiness.com
