WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation remained elevated last month as gas prices jumped while the cost of rents cooled, painting a mixed picture of the expenses consumers are facing in a murky economy where growth appears steady but hiring slow .

Consumer prices increased 3% in September from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Friday , the highest since January and up from 2.9% in August. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices also rose 3%, down from 3.1% in the previous month.

On a monthly basis, price increases slowed: Consumer prices rose 0.3% in September, down from 0.4% the previous month. Core inflation also cooled to 0.2%, from 0.3% in August.

The figures show that inflation continues to rise more slowly than many economists expected when President D

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