The question now is how much more evidence policymakers will need to see before they take their foot off the brake.
Job creation eased more than expected in December while wages grew at the slowest pace in nearly 3½ years.
The President-Elect is looking at utilizing the International Economic Emergency Powers Act to implement his plan for tariffs on imports.
The ISM services survey's prices index jumped to 64.4%, an increase of 6.2 points or more than 10%.
Economists polled by Reuters forecast a reading of 2.4%, up from 2.2% in November.
President-elect Donald Trump is considering a plan that still would apply tariffs to all nations but narrow the impact.
Firms across hospitality, manufacturing, construction and healthcare expressed concerns about how they would cover additional tax costs.