Inland Empire inflation hits 3.4% as gas prices drive the gain

Inland Empire Economic Intelligence: Inland Empire prices rose 3.4% year-over-year in May, up from 3.1% in March, extending an upswing that began in late 2024 after two years of cooling. The transportation category — gasoline and automotives — rose 7.6% year-over-year and accounts for the overall increase. Other categories held steady or fell: restaurant inflation declined notably, and shelter inflation stabilized.