Transmission of material in this release is embargoed until                                        
 8:30 a.m. (ET) December 10, 2020         USDL-20-2218

 Technical information: (202) 691-7000  •  cpi_info@bls.gov  •  www.bls.gov/cpi
 Media Contact:         (202) 691-5902  •  PressOffice@bls.gov 

 CONSUMER PRICE INDEX – NOVEMBER 2020

 The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent 
 in November on a seasonally adjusted basis after being unchanged in October, 
 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, 
 the all items index increased 1.2 percent before seasonal adjustment.
 
 The seasonally adjusted increase in the all items index was broad-based, with 
 no component accounting for more than a quarter of the increase. The food index 
 declined in November, as a decrease in the food at home index more than offset 
 a small increase in the food away from home index. The index for energy rose 
 in November, as increases in indexes for natural gas and electricity more than 
 offset a decline in the index for gasoline.  
 
 The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.2 percent in November 
 after being unchanged the prior month. The indexes for lodging away from home, 
 household furnishings and operations, recreation, apparel, airline fares, and 
 motor vehicle insurance all increased in November. The indexes for used cars 
 and trucks, medical care, and new vehicles all declined over the month. 

 The all items index rose 1.2 percent for the 12 months ending November, the 
 same increase as for the period ending October. The index for all items less 
 food and energy rose 1.6 percent over the last 12 months, also the same 
 increase as the period ending October. The food index rose 3.7 percent over 
 the last 12 months, while the energy index fell 9.4 percent.
 

 Table A. Percent changes in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city
 average

                                  Seasonally adjusted changes from
                                          preceding month
                                                                          Un-
                                                                       adjusted
                                                                        12-mos.
                              May   June  July  Aug.  Sep.  Oct.  Nov.   ended
                              2020  2020  2020  2020  2020  2020  2020   Nov.
                                                                         2020

 All items..................   -.1    .6    .6    .4    .2    .0    .2      1.2
  Food......................    .7    .6   -.4    .1    .0    .2   -.1      3.7
   Food at home.............   1.0    .7  -1.1   -.1   -.4    .1   -.3      3.6
   Food away from home (1)..    .4    .5    .5    .3    .6    .3    .1      3.8
  Energy....................  -1.8   5.1   2.5    .9    .8    .1    .4     -9.4
   Energy commodities.......  -3.5  11.7   5.3   2.0   -.1   -.5   -.2    -19.3
    Gasoline (all types)....  -3.5  12.3   5.6   2.0    .1   -.5   -.4    -19.3
    Fuel oil................  -6.3  10.2   4.3   3.9  -5.3   -.3   3.6    -26.4
   Energy services..........   -.5   -.2    .0   -.2   1.6    .8   1.1      2.3
    Electricity.............   -.8   -.3    .3   -.2    .9   1.2    .5      1.6
    Utility (piped) gas
       service..............    .8    .0  -1.0   -.2   4.2   -.7   3.1      4.4
  All items less food and
     energy.................   -.1    .2    .6    .4    .2    .0    .2      1.6
   Commodities less food and
      energy commodities....   -.2    .2    .7   1.0    .8   -.2    .1      1.4
    New vehicles............    .3    .0    .8    .0    .3    .4   -.1      1.6
    Used cars and trucks....   -.4  -1.2   2.3   5.4   6.7   -.1  -1.3     10.9
    Apparel.................  -2.3   1.7   1.1    .6   -.5  -1.2    .9     -5.2
    Medical care commodities    .1    .2    .0   -.1    .0   -.8   -.3     -1.1
   Services less energy
      services..............    .0    .3    .6    .2    .0    .1    .2      1.7
    Shelter.................    .2    .1    .2    .1    .1    .1    .1      1.9
    Transportation services   -3.6   2.1   3.6    .0   -.9    .1   1.8     -3.4
    Medical care services...    .6    .5    .5    .1    .0   -.3   -.1      3.2

   1 Not seasonally adjusted.


 Food

 The food index declined 0.1 percent in November following a 0.2-percent increase 
 in October. The index for food at home declined 0.3 percent after rising in 
 October. Major grocery store food group indexes were mixed in November. The index 
 for nonalcoholic beverages fell 0.9 percent in November, its largest monthly 
 decline since December 2010. The index for other food at home fell 0.6 percent 
 in November, and the index for cereals and bakery products decreased 0.5 percent; 
 both indexes increased in October.
 
 The dairy and related products index rose 0.3 percent in November after falling 
 in September and October. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 
 0.1 percent in November. The index for fruits and vegetables was unchanged in 
 November after rising 0.1 percent in October. The index for food away from home 
 rose in November, but the 0.1-percent increase was the smallest since April.
 
 The food at home index increased 3.6 percent over the past 12 months. All six 
 major grocery store food group indexes increased over the period. The largest 
 increase was the meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index which rose 5.9 percent 
 as the beef index increased 7.5 percent. The smallest increase was for the 
 cereals and bakery products index, which increased 2.4 percent over the last 
 12 months. The index for food away from home rose 3.8 percent over the last 
 year. The index for limited service meals rose 5.9 percent, and the index for 
 full service meals rose 2.9 percent over the span. 
 
 Energy

 The energy index rose for the sixth month in a row in November, increasing 0.4 
 percent. The index for natural gas rose 3.1 percent in November after declining 
 in October. The electricity index rose 0.5 percent in November, its third 
 consecutive monthly increase. The index for fuel oil also increased in November, 
 rising 3.6 percent. In contrast to these increases, the gasoline index declined 
 for the second month in a row, falling 0.4 percent. (Before seasonal adjustment, 
 gasoline prices fell 2.7 percent in November.) 

 The energy index fell 9.4 percent over the past 12 months. Energy commodity 
 indexes fell sharply over the period, with the fuel oil index declining 26.4 
 percent and the gasoline index decreasing 19.3 percent. Energy service indexes 
 rose over the last 12 months, with the index for natural gas increasing 4.4 
 percent and the index for electricity rising 1.6 percent.  

 All items less food and energy

 The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in November after 
 being unchanged in October. The shelter index rose 0.1 percent in November, the 
 fourth 0.1-percent increase in a row. However, the indexes for rent and owners’ 
 equivalent rent were both unchanged in November after both rising 0.2 percent 
 in October. The index for lodging away from home rose sharply in November, 
 increasing 3.9 percent after falling 3.2 percent in October. 

 The index for household furnishings and operations rose 0.7 percent in November 
 after falling in each of the prior 2 months. The recreation index rose 0.4 
 percent in November; this was the same increase as last month and the fourth 
 consecutive monthly advance. The apparel index rose 0.9 percent in November 
 after declining in September and October. The index for airline fares rose 3.5 
 percent in November after increasing 6.3 percent in October. The index for 
 motor vehicle insurance rose 1.1 percent in November after falling in September 
 and October. The indexes for education, for alcoholic beverages, and for 
 tobacco also increased in November.

 The index for used cars and trucks fell 1.3 percent in November, its second 
 consecutive monthly decline after sharp increases in prior months. The index for 
 medical care declined slightly in November, falling 0.1 percent. The index for 
 hospital services rose 0.3 percent and the index for physicians’ services rose 
 0.1 percent, while the index for prescription drugs declined 0.1 percent over 
 the month. The new vehicles index declined 0.1 percent in November after rising 
 in September and October.

 The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.6 percent over the past 12 
 months. The shelter index rose 1.9 percent over the last 12 months, its smallest 
 12-month increase since the period ending December 2011. The used cars and trucks 
 index increased 10.9 percent over the last 12 months and the medical care index 
 increased 2.4 percent. Despite the monthly increases in November, the indexes 
 for apparel, airline fares, and motor vehicle insurance all declined over the 
 past 12 months.

 Not seasonally adjusted CPI measures

 The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.2 percent 
 over the last 12 months to an index level of 260.229 (1982-84=100). For the 
 month, the index declined 0.1 prior to seasonal adjustment.  
 
 The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) 
 increased 1.3 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 253.826 
 (1982-84=100). For the month, the index declined 0.1 percent prior to seasonal 
 adjustment.  

 The Chained Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) increased 
 0.9 percent over the last 12 months. For the month, the index declined 0.1 
 percent on a not seasonally adjusted basis. Please note that the indexes for 
 the past 10 to 12 months are subject to revision. 
 
 _______________
 The Consumer Price Index for December 2020 is scheduled to be released on 
 Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
 
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on November 2020 Consumer Price Index Data

 Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended
 since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either
 online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in November was affected by the temporary closing or
 limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors resulted in an increase in the
 number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed. While the CPI program attempted to
 collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on smaller amounts of collected prices
 than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally published were not published this month.
 Additional information is available at
 www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.htm.
 
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Technical Note

 Brief Explanation of the CPI

 The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices paid by consumers 
 for goods and services. The CPI reflects spending patterns for each of two 
 population groups: all urban consumers and urban wage earners and clerical 
 workers. The all urban consumer group represents about 93 percent of the total 
 U.S. population. It is based on the expenditures of almost all residents of 
 urban or metropolitan areas, including professionals, the self-employed, the 
 poor, the unemployed, and retired people, as well as urban wage earners and 
 clerical workers. Not included in the CPI are the spending patterns of people 
 living in rural nonmetropolitan areas, farming families, people in the Armed 
 Forces, and those in institutions, such as prisons and mental hospitals. 
 Consumer inflation for all urban consumers is measured by two indexes, namely, 
 the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Chained 
 Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U). 

 The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) 
 is based on the expenditures of households included in the CPI-U definition 
 that meet two requirements: more than one-half of the household's income must 
 come from clerical or wage occupations, and at least one of the household's 
 earners must have been employed for at least 37 weeks during the previous 12 
 months. The CPI-W population represents about 29 percent of the total U.S. 
 population and is a subset of the CPI-U population.
 
 The CPIs are based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuels, transportation, 
 doctors’ and dentists’ services, drugs, and other goods and services that 
 people buy for day-to-day living. Prices are collected each month in 75 urban 
 areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 
 retail establishments (department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling 
 stations, and other types of stores and service establishments). All taxes 
 directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the 
 index. Prices of fuels and a few other items are obtained every month in all 
 75 locations. Prices of most other commodities and services are collected every 
 month in the three largest geographic areas and every other month in other areas. 
 Prices of most goods and services are obtained by personal visits or telephone 
 calls by the Bureau’s trained representatives.

 In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location 
 are aggregated using weights, which represent their importance in the spending 
 of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a 
 U.S. city average. For the CPI-U and CPI-W, separate indexes are also published 
 by size of city, by region of the country, for cross-classifications of regions 
 and population-size classes, and for 23 selected local areas. Area indexes do 
 not measure differences in the level of prices among cities; they only measure 
 the average change in prices for each area since the base period. For the C-CPI-U, 
 data are issued only at the national level. The CPI-U and CPI-W are considered 
 final when released, but the C-CPI-U is issued in preliminary form and subject 
 to three subsequent quarterly revisions. 

 The index measures price change from a designed reference date. For most of the 
 CPI-U and the CPI-W, the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. The reference base 
 for the C-CPI-U is December 1999 equals 100.  An increase of 7 percent from the 
 reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000. Alternatively, that relationship 
 can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and 
 services rising from $100 to $107. 

 Sampling Error in the CPI

 The CPI is a statistical estimate that is subject to sampling error because it is 
 based upon a sample of retail prices and not the complete universe of all prices. 
 BLS calculates and publishes estimates of the 1-month, 2-month, 6-month, and 12-month 
 percent change standard errors annually for the CPI-U. These standard error estimates 
 can be used to construct confidence intervals for hypothesis testing. For example, 
 the estimated standard error of the 1-month percent change is 0.03 percent for the 
 U.S. all items CPI. This means that if we repeatedly sample from the universe of all 
 retail prices using the same methodology, and estimate a percentage change for each 
 sample, then 95 percent of these estimates will be within 0.06 percent of the 1-month 
 percentage change based on all retail prices. For example, for a 1-month change of 
 0.2 percent in the all items CPI-U, we are 95 percent confident that the actual percent 
 change based on all retail prices would fall between 0.14 and 0.26 percent. For the 
 latest data, including information on how to use the estimates of standard error, 
 see https://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/variance-estimates/home.htm. 

 Calculating Index Changes

 Movements of the indexes from 1 month to another are usually expressed as percent 
 changes rather than changes in index points, because index point changes are affected 
 by the level of the index in relation to its base period, while percent changes are 
 not. The following table shows an example of using index values to calculate percent 
 changes:
 
                                 Item A                  Item B                      Item C
 Year I                         112.500                 225.000                     110.000
 Year II                        121.500                 243.000                     128.000
 Change in index points         9.000                   18.000                      18.000
 Percent change                 9.0/112.500 x 100 = 8.0  18.0/225.000 x 100 = 8.0   18.0/110.000 x 100 = 16.4
 Use of Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Data

 The Consumer Price Index (CPI) produces both unadjusted and seasonally adjusted data. 
 Seasonally adjusted data are computed using seasonal factors derived by the X-13ARIMA-
 SEATS seasonal adjustment method. These factors are updated each February, and the new 
 factors are used to revise the previous 5 years of seasonally adjusted data. The 
 factors are available at www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/seasonal-adjustment/seasonal-factors-2020.pdf. 
 For more information on data revision scheduling, please see the Factsheet on Seasonal 
 Adjustment at www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-adjustment/questions-and-answers.htm and the 
 Timeline of Seasonal Adjustment Methodological Changes at 
 www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-adjustment/timeline-seasonal-adjustment-methodology-changes.htm. 

 For analyzing short-term price trends in the economy, seasonally adjusted changes are 
 usually preferred since they eliminate the effect of changes that normally occur at the 
 same time and in about the same magnitude every year—such as price movements resulting 
 from weather events, production cycles, model changeovers, holidays, and sales. This allows 
 data users to focus on changes that are not typical for the time of year. The unadjusted 
 data are of primary interest to consumers concerned about the prices they actually pay. 
 Unadjusted data are also used extensively for escalation purposes. Many collective bargaining 
 contract agreements and pension plans, for example, tie compensation changes to the Consumer 
 Price Index before adjustment for seasonal variation. BLS advises against the use of 
 seasonally adjusted data in escalation agreements because seasonally adjusted series are 
 revised annually.

 Intervention Analysis

 The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses intervention analysis seasonal adjustment for some 
 CPI series. Sometimes extreme values or sharp movements can distort the underlying seasonal 
 pattern of price change. Intervention analysis seasonal adjustment is a process by which 
 the distortions caused by such unusual events are estimated and removed from the data prior 
 to calculation of seasonal factors. The resulting seasonal factors, which more accurately 
 represent the seasonal pattern, are then applied to the unadjusted data. 

 For example, this procedure was used for the motor fuel series to offset the effects of the 
 2009 return to normal pricing after the worldwide economic downturn in 2008. Retaining this 
 outlier data during seasonal factor calculation would distort the computation of the seasonal 
 portion of the time series data for motor fuel, so it was estimated and removed from the 
 data prior to seasonal adjustment. Following that, seasonal factors were calculated based on 
 this “prior adjusted” data. These seasonal factors represent a clearer picture of the 
 seasonal pattern in the data. The last step is for motor fuel seasonal factors to be applied 
 to the unadjusted data.

 For the seasonal factors introduced for January 2020, BLS adjusted 53 series using 
 intervention analysis seasonal adjustment, including selected food and beverage items, motor 
 fuels, electricity, and vehicles. 

 Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Indexes

 Seasonally adjusted data, including the U.S. city average all items index levels, are subject 
 to revision for up to 5 years after their original release. Every year, economists in the CPI 
 calculate new seasonal factors for seasonally adjusted series and apply them to the last 5 
 years of data. Seasonally adjusted indexes beyond the last 5 years of data are considered to 
 be final and not subject to revision. For January 2020, revised seasonal factors and seasonally 
 adjusted indexes for 2015 to 2019 were calculated and published. For series which are directly 
 adjusted using the Census X-13ARIMA-SEATS seasonal adjustment software, the seasonal factors 
 for 2019 will be applied to data for 2020 to produce the seasonally adjusted 2020 indexes. 
 Series which are indirectly seasonally adjusted by summing seasonally adjusted component 
 series have seasonal factors which are derived and are therefore not available in advance. 

 Determining Seasonal Status

 Each year the seasonal status of every series is reevaluated based upon certain statistical 
 criteria. Using these criteria, BLS economists determine whether a series should change its 
 status from "not seasonally adjusted" to "seasonally adjusted", or vice versa. If any of the 
 81 components of the U.S. city average all items index change their seasonal adjustment status 
 from seasonally adjusted to not seasonally adjusted, not seasonally adjusted data will be used 
 in the aggregation of the dependent series for the last 5 years, but the seasonally adjusted 
 indexes before that period will not be changed. Twenty-eight of the 81 components of the U.S. 
 city average all items index are not seasonally adjusted for 2020.

 Contact Information

 For additional information about the CPI visit www.bls.gov/cpi or contact the CPI Information 
 and Analysis Section at 202-691-7000 or cpi_info@bls.gov. 

 For additional information on seasonal adjustment in the CPI visit 
 www.bls.gov/cpi/seasonal-adjustment/home.htm or contact the CPI seasonal adjustment section at 
 202-691-6968 or cpiseas@bls.gov. 
 
 Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon 
 request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339.