Consumer prices were on the way down last month, according to new figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Labor Department.
The department said the figure was weighed down by a plunge in demand for gasoline and services, including airline travel, as people stayed home during the coronavirus crisis.
The consumer price index tumbled 0.8% last month after falling 0.4% last in March. That was the largest decline since December 2008, and marked the second straight monthly decrease in the CPI.
In the 12 months through April, the CPI gained 0.3% after increasing 1.5% in March. Economists had forecast the CPI falling 0.8% in April and rising 0.4% year-on-year.
