As politicians debate themselves toward inaction, the rest of the country continues to trip over the pesky problem of inflation.

The high cost of living can be measured in different ways.

According to recent figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the price for producers to provide finished goods and services is also on the rise. 

In November, the BLS released the Producer Price Index for September. The delay in releasing the figures is attributed to the lengthy government shutdown.

According to the BLS, the index for so-called "final demand" products and services increased by 0.3% in September. This is the price for goods and services that have reached the end of the supply chain and are being made available to end-users, including consumers, businesses, government agencies and exporters.

The BLS notes that the increase is entirely attributable to a rise in the price for goods, which increased by 0.9%, rather than services, whose prices remain unchanged.

A more detailed breakdown of the figures reveals varying trends. For example, the BLS notes that 60% of the rise in the price index for goods in September can be traced to gasoline, which grew by 11.8%. The price index for other products also increased, including residential electric power, among other products.

 Looking broadly at the construction industry, the final demand price index for construction services remained unchanged from August to September. However, the price climbed 0.9% for the 12-month period from September 2024 to September 2025.

 A more revealing figure might be the price index for so-called “intermediate demand” of construction materials and components. This would be the price for things builders need to construct homes and commercial buildings. According to the BLS, this figure was up by 0.1% from August to September and by 2.8% from September of last year.