The consumer price index (CPI) inched upwards in December following a surprisingly strong jobs report for that month, potentially pushing back an expected March cut in interest rates by the Federal Reserve. The CPI advanced 0.3 percent on the month, the Labor Department reported Thursday, up from 0.1 percent in November and no increase in October. Annually, the index advanced to a 3.4-percent increase from 3.1 percent in November, but still below recent highs around 3.7 percent reached in September and October. “This uptick in CPI is a critical reminder of the unpredictable nature of economic recovery and the murkiness of the macro…
