Producer prices soared in January, pushed higher by energy prices and the biggest increase in food prices in more than three years.

The January producer price index climbed by 1%, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. The PPI had fallen 0.3% in December after a jump of 2.6% in November.

The core PPI, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 0.4%, driven by higher drug and car prices.

Year over year, the PPI is up 7.4%. This is the fastest pace since 1981. Over the same time period, the core PPI is up 2.3%.