Washington ? Consumer prices jumped by 0.5 percent in April, the largest increase in almost a year, led by sharply higher costs for gasoline, airfares and hospital services.

The advance in the Consumer Price Index followed a 0.3 percent increase in March, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.

Excluding volatile energy and food prices, the “core” rate of inflation rose 0.3 percent in April. That followed a 0.1 percent rise in March.

In a second report, industrial production at the nation’s factories, mines and utilities increased in April for the fourth-straight month, rising 0.4 percent, the Federal Reserve reported. The report provides further evidence that the manufacturing sector hardest hit by last year’s recession is on the comeback trail.

Production of cars, trucks and automobile parts rose a solid 3.1 percent last month.

The latest reading on inflation was a bit worse than many analysts were expecting.