WASHINGTON — US consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in March as the cost of most goods increased, the Labor Department said Friday.

The so-called core consumer price index (CPI) rose a seasonally-adjusted 0.2 percent. The core data strips out volatile food and energy costs.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch forecast a 0.2 percent increase in both the CPI and the core rate.

Consumer prices rose an unadjusted 2.7 percent over the past 12 months, but that figure is down from 2.9 percent in February.

The core rate increased 2.3 percent over the past 12 months, up slightly from February. The government also reported that inflation-adjusted hourly wages, on average, fell 0.1 percent in March.

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