Everything Is Getting More Expensive

Consumer prices rose more than economists expected last month, new numbers show, on top of an already high August reading. While a jump in prices was expected as the economy recovered from the pandemic shock, persistently high inflation is complicating plans for both the Fed and the White House, who face pressure to act so that price gains don’t become a permanent fixture.

Americans are paying more for dinner, fuel and housing, and wage gains, while decent, aren’t keeping up. Hopes that a spike in prices would quickly fade — that pandemic-induced...