Daily Roundup of Key US Economic Data for Dec. 18

02:34 PM EST, 12/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The consumer price index rose 2.7% year-over-year in November, slowing from a 3% gain in September, the most recent data available. Core prices increased 2.6% from a year earlier, down from a 3% gain and the slowest pace since March 2021.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics was unable to calculate October data for several key series, so a month-over-month percent change calculation for November was not possible in those cases.

Gasoline and vehicle prices were among the series with October data. Gasoline prices rose 3% in November after a 2.1% decline in October, while vehicle prices increased moderately.

Initial jobless claims fell by 13,000 to 224,000 in the employment survey week ended Dec. 13, though the four-week moving average rose by 500 to 217,500, its second straight increase. Claims stood at 222,000 in the survey week ended Nov. 15.

Insured claims rose by 67,000 to 1.897 million in the week ended Dec. 6 after a decline of 107,000 claims in the previous week.

Natural gas stocks dropped 167 billion cubic feet to 3.579 trillion cubic feet in the week ended Dec. 12, down 1.7% from a year earlier but 0.9% above the five-year seasonal average.

The Philadelphia Fed's manufacturing reading fell to minus 10.2 in December from minus 1.7 in November, indicating a faster pace of contraction. The Kansas City Federal Reserve's index fell to 1 from 8, indicating modest growth following a contraction reported by the New York Fed. The ISM's national manufacturing reading is due Jan. 5.

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