Retail inflation for industrial workers rose to 5.56 per cent in December 2021, compared to the same month a year ago mainly due to higher prices of certain food items, the labour ministry said on Monday.

"Year-on-year inflation for the month (December 2021) stood at 5.56 per cent compared to 4.84 per cent for the previous month and 3.67 per cent during the corresponding month a year before," the ministry said in a statement.

Similarly, its stated that food inflation stood at 5.93 per cent against 3.40 per cent of the previous month (November 2021) and 2.89 per cent during the corresponding month (December 2020) a year ago.

The All-India CPI-IW (consumer price index for industrial workers) for December, 2021 decreased by 0.3 point and stood at 125.4 point. It was 125.7 point in November, 2021.

On one-month percentage change, it decreased by 0.24 per cent with respect to previous month compared to decrease of 0.92 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago.

The maximum downward pressure in current index came from Food & Beverages group contributing 0.39 percentage point to the total change.

At item level, fish fresh, poultry chicken, sunflower oil, banana, cauliflower, onion, peas, potato, tomato, ESI contribution, petrol etc, are responsible for the fall in index.

However, this decrease was largely checked by buffalo milk, grapes, pomegranate, lady finger, fire wood, medicine allopathic, auto rickshaw fare, telephone charges etc, putting upward pressure on the index.

At centre level, Udham Singh Nagar recorded a maximum decrease of 4.2 points. Among others, 5 centres observed a decrease between 3 to 3.9 points, 6 centres between 2 to 2.9 points, 19 centres between 1 to 1.9 points and 27 centres between 0.1 to 0.9 points.

On the contrary, Virudhu Nagar recorded a maximum increase of 3.6 points. Among others, 5 centres observed an increase between 2 to 2.9 points, 9 centres between 1 to 1.9 points and 12 centres between 0.1 to 0.9 points. Rest of three centres' indices remained stationary.

The Labour Bureau, an attached office of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, has been compiling Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers every month on the basis of retail prices collected from 317 markets spread over 88 industrially important centres in the country.

The index is compiled for 88 centres and All-India and is released on the last working day of succeeding month.