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News Release Information

17-454-PHI
Friday, April 14, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – March 2017

Regional prices down 0.1 percent over the month and up 2.2 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast inched down 0.1 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the recent decrease was due mostly to a 1.5-percent decline in the energy index. The food index rose 0.3 percent over the month, while the all items less food and energy index remained unchanged. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the Northeast all items CPI-U increased 2.2 percent, due largely to a 1.7-percent advance in the all items less food and energy index. (See chart 1 and table A.) The energy index and food index also increased, up 12.0 and 0.6 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index increased 0.3 percent since February. Prices for both food away from home and food at home increased over the month, up 0.4 and 0.2 percent, respectively.

From March 2016 to March 2017, the food index increased 0.6 percent, as a 2.5-percent increase in prices for food away home was moderated by a 0.6-percent decrease in those for food at home.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, declined 1.5 percent since February. Prices for gasoline and electricity decreased over the month, down 1.8 percent each, while those for utility (piped) gas service were unchanged. 

The energy index increased 12.0 percent since March 2016. The increase was led by a 24.2-percent jump in gasoline prices. Prices also increased over the year for utility (piped) gas service (11.0 percent), while those for electricity declined (-0.3 percent).

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged over the month. Price decreases for categories including education and communication (-1.8 percent) and new and used motor vehicles were offset by price increases for shelter (0.1 percent) and apparel (1.5 percent), among others.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.7 percent since March 2016, led by higher prices for shelter (2.7 percent). Prices were also higher over the year for several other categories including medical care (2.9 percent).

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20132014201520162017
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.31.80.61.5-0.2-0.40.00.70.62.5

February

0.62.00.11.00.2-0.20.20.70.32.6

March

0.01.50.51.50.3-0.40.20.6-0.12.2

April

-0.11.10.01.60.1-0.30.61.0  

May

0.01.20.42.00.4-0.30.30.9  

June

0.11.50.01.90.30.00.20.7  

July

0.21.80.11.8-0.1-0.20.00.8  

August

0.21.5-0.31.3-0.2-0.10.11.0  

September

0.11.10.01.20.0-0.10.21.3  

October

-0.40.7-0.21.4-0.2-0.10.21.6  

November

0.11.0-0.40.90.00.30.01.6  

December

0.01.3-0.50.4-0.40.50.01.9  

The Consumer Price Index for April 2017 is scheduled to be released Friday, May 12, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes CPIs for two population groups: (1) a CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) which covers approximately 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 28 percent of the total population. The CPI-U includes, in addition to wage earners and clerical workers, groups such as professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, short-term workers, the unemployed, and retirees and others not in the labor force.

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 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.

The index measures price changes from a designated reference date (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

In calculating the index, price changes for the various items in each location are averaged together with weights that represent their importance in the spending of the appropriate population group. Local data are then combined to obtain a U.S. city average. Because the sample size of a local area is smaller, the local area index is subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error than the national index. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are quite similar. Note: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Northeast Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
 
Historical
data
Jan.
2017
Feb.
2017
Mar.
2017
Mar.
2016
Jan.
2017
Feb.
2017

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0
258.073258.768258.5102.20.2-0.1

All items (December 1977 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100AA0
406.386407.481407.074   
 

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF
253.083253.153253.8350.60.30.3

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF1
253.132253.151253.8540.60.30.3

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF11
244.450244.237244.742-0.60.10.2

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFV
269.414269.790270.8062.50.50.4

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF116
251.263251.992252.3970.10.50.2
 

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH
273.398273.927273.9292.50.20.0

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH1
338.518338.649339.1462.70.20.1

Rent of primary residence(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHA
339.655340.285340.8862.70.40.2

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC
350.741351.047351.0892.60.10.0

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC01
350.458350.768350.8032.60.10.0

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH2
215.555218.355216.0944.50.3-1.0

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH21
190.529193.400191.0994.90.3-1.2

Energy services(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF
190.411193.729191.2402.70.4-1.3

Electricity(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF01
196.590200.268196.727-0.30.1-1.8

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF02
163.863166.184166.10511.01.40.0

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH3
120.698120.939120.941-1.50.20.0
 

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAA
130.053132.413134.4091.23.31.5
 

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT
199.351199.686198.8294.2-0.3-0.4

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT1
191.740191.316190.2464.7-0.8-0.6

New and used motor vehicles(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA
95.79496.27696.036-1.70.3-0.2

New vehicles

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA01
146.615146.839146.2300.4-0.3-0.4

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS4501A
101.561101.715101.2900.4-0.3-0.4

New cars(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS45011
137.263137.196136.163-1.0-0.8-0.8

Used cars and trucks

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA02
143.346143.816145.372-5.11.41.1

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB
209.828204.293200.55824.2-4.4-1.8

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB01
208.971203.432199.68724.2-4.4-1.8

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47014
206.543200.777196.83624.8-4.7-2.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47015
222.388217.529214.96022.3-3.3-1.2

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47016
217.274213.492211.04420.3-2.9-1.1
 

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM
490.069492.978493.5952.90.70.1

Medical care commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM1
385.054389.173392.4732.91.90.8

Medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM2
519.924522.384522.0802.90.4-0.1

Professional services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEMC
375.941377.102376.7382.30.2-0.1
 

Recreation(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAR
122.442123.788124.1532.31.40.3
 

Education and communication(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAE
142.889142.628140.072-0.8-2.0-1.8
 

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAG
473.450474.864475.2343.40.40.1
 

Commodity and service group

 

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAC
186.458186.562186.8131.90.20.1

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL11
150.078150.190150.2542.80.10.0

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL11
191.747191.648191.6966.70.00.0

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAD
103.266103.531103.602-2.30.30.1

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAS
327.218328.452327.7372.40.2-0.2
 

Special aggregate indexes

 

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L2
230.438231.347230.8082.00.2-0.2

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L5
247.884248.480248.1832.20.1-0.1

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL1
153.746153.876153.9512.60.10.0

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAN
222.405222.385222.7333.30.10.2

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL1
195.218195.168195.2376.10.00.0

Services less rent of shelter(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL2RS
326.410328.853326.8252.10.1-0.6

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL5
313.921315.072314.3322.40.1-0.2

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0E
198.426197.959195.08512.0-1.7-1.5

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0LE
266.791267.611267.6141.60.30.0

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L1E
270.907271.867271.7521.70.30.0

Footnotes
(1)This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2)Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(3)Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4)Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5)Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
 

Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, April 14, 2017