U.S. producer prices were unchanged in June despite higher energy prices, the Labor Department reported Friday. The core rate of inflation at the wholesale level fell 0.2%, the agency said. Economists had expected the producer price index to rise 0.4% in June. Core inflation was expected to rise 0.2%. Inflation accelerated on a year-over-year basis to 3.6% from 3.5% a month earlier. The core PPI is up 2.2% year-over-year. Prices of intermediate goods destined for further processing increased 0.1%, with core intermediate prices falling 0.8%. Prices of crude goods fell 3.3%.