Wholesale inflation remained mostly in check last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported.

Its "producer price index" went up just 0.3% from September. Higher costs for food and energy were a major factor: Without those volatile sectors, wholesale prices dropped 0.6%.

The slight increase was also partly a bounce back from September, when wholesale prices fell 0.6%. Over the past year, wholesale prices have fallen 1.9%.

Planet Money follows the economy here.