Producer Prices Rose Just 0.3% in October, but Building Materials Are Up 6.2% in a Year, and Steel Is Up 32.9%
Key Takeaways Producer prices rose 0.3% in October 2026, a sharp slowdown from September's 1.4% jump, but the 12-month increase hit 6.5%, the largest since November 2022. Prices for final demand goods are up 10.2% in a year, the largest 12-month rise since October 2022, and materials and components for construction are up 6.2%. The construction ledger is split: steel mill products are up 32.9% in a year and plywood 16.9%, while softwood lumber fell 3.1% in October alone. New building construction prices are up 5.5% in a year, so a rehab or build budget priced last year is already out of date line by line, not just at the total. Wholesale inflation cooled for one month and heated up for the year at the same time. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index release for October 2026 , published November 13, showed final demand prices up 0.3% in October, seasonally adjusted. That monthly reading slowed sharply from a 1.4% advance in September and a 0.4% rise in August. Eco...