Prices are falling at an alarming rate

That was a worrying decline, dragged down mainly by falling gasoline and energy prices. But excluding food and energy that is unstable, prices are still down 0.4%. It was the biggest monthly decline in the so-called core consumer price index since BLS began tracking data in 1957.

Deflation hasn’t come yet – prices have gone up 0.3% over the past 12 months. But if orders remain at home continuing to plunge the economy into a big downturn, lower prices can worsen the damage.

Amazing oil drop

The oil market is struggling with waning demand because people cancel their travel plans, work from home or lose their jobs. But oil companies continue to produce, while limited storage capacity for oil barrels dragged prices for an oil futures contract into negative territory last month.

Clothing, cars, and plane ticket prices also dropped

Although falling energy prices make up a large part of falling prices in the past month, it is not the only area where prices have fallen.

Prices for clothing, car insurance, flight costs and lodging away from home help drag the overall index down as demand for these goods and services disappears.

Because most of America continues to be below some level of lock restrictions, the amount of spending on holidays and many discretionary items has fallen. Economists worry that spending of this kind may take time to recover because consumers remain cautious even after restrictions are lifted.

Food and rental prices soared

Meanwhile, food prices rose higher, with the food category at home posting the biggest increase since February 1974, up 2.6%.

Rent and medical expenses increased slightly too.

Economists expect the coronavirus crisis to have a large deflationary effect. April data is proof. That’s bad news for policy makers at the Federal Reserve, who likes to keep inflation at around 2% – widely accepted as an ideal balance for the US economy.

“Even when the economy reopens, core inflation is likely to go below 1% in the coming year in the face of high unemployment and low commodity prices,” said Sal Guatieri, Senior Economist at BMO.

Usually, such monetary actions are expected to increase inflation. But the head of Oxford Economics, US economist Gregory Daco said that with price direction, “the surge in inflation is the least of our worries.”