Consumer prices rebounded moderately in April as energy prices climbed back up after a sharp decline in March.

The Labor Department says consumer prices rose 0.2 percent after a 0.3 percent drop in March, which was the biggest fall in more than two years. Energy prices rose 1.1 percent after tumbling 3.2 percent the previous month.

Core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, rose 0.1 percent. Over the past 12 months, inflation is up 2.2 percent. Core prices have risen 1.9 percent.

The Federal Reserve tries to manage the economy so that annual increases in inflation are around 2 percent. After mostly lagging below that target since the 2007-2009 recession, inflation has accelerated recently with the unemployment rate falling to 4.4 percent and energy prices rebounding.

The Fed cut its key interest rate to near zero in the wake of the recession and kept it there for