By Amara Omeokwe 

U.S. consumer prices rose sharply in June, with higher prices for staples such as food, gasoline and apparel, as states broadened efforts to reopen economies last month while coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

The consumer-price index -- which measures what Americans pay for everyday items including groceries, clothing and shelter -- rose 0.6% in June from the month before, the Labor Department said Tuesday. The index had fallen in each of the previous three months, with particularly sharp declines during the earlier part of the pandemic in March and April.

Excluding the often-volatile categories of food and energy, so-called core prices rose 0.2%, compared with a 0.1% decline in May.

Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected a 0.5% increase for the overall consumer-price index, and a 0.1% gain for the core index.

Tuesday's report showed grocery prices last month rose 0.7%, building on a 1% monthly rise in May. Prices for dining out ticked up by 0.5%, while gasoline prices rose 12.3%. Apparel prices increased 1.7% over the month.

The increase in overall consumer prices last month came as states continued plans to ease lockdowns and social distancing requirements initially put in place to reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. However, a recent resurgence of cases in certain parts of the country has caused some states to reimplement restrictions, a factor that could weigh on prices broadly and the strength of the recovery.

Write to Amara Omeokwe at amara.omeokwe@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 14, 2020 09:05 ET (13:05 GMT)