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News Release Information

18-1498-PHI
Thursday, September 13, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – August 2018

Regional prices increased 0.2 percent over the month, 2.7 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast increased 0.2 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that this was mostly due to a 0.3-percent increase in the all items less food and energy index. The food index also increased over the month, up 0.2 percent, while the energy index decreased 0.4 percent. (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 2.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index led the advance, rising 1.9 percent. The energy index and the food index also rose, up 11.8 and 2.2 percent, respectively, since August 2017. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index increased 0.2 percent since July as prices for food away from home increased 0.3 percent. Food at home prices also rose, inching up 0.1 percent.

From August 2017 to August 2018, the food index increased 2.2 percent. Prices for both food away from home and food at home increased over the year, up 2.9 and 1.6 percent, respectively.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, decreased 0.4 percent in August. Prices for electricity and utility (piped) gas service both decreased over the month, down 0.8 and 1.4 percent, respectively. Gasoline prices were unchanged since July.

The energy index advanced 11.8 percent since August 2017. The increase reflected higher prices for gasoline, up 19.7 percent. Prices also increased over the year for utility (piped) gas service (5.7 percent) and electricity (2.1 percent).

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.3 percent over the month. Higher prices for shelter (0.6 percent) and apparel (2.7 percent) were moderated by lower prices for new and used motor vehicles (-0.7 percent), among others.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.9 percent since August 2017, led by higher prices for shelter, up 2.9 percent. Prices also rose over the year for medical care (2.1 percent) and education and communication (1.9 percent), but were lower for apparel (-2.0 percent), among others.

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20142015201620172018
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.61.5-0.2-0.40.00.70.62.50.51.6

February

0.11.00.2-0.20.20.70.32.60.41.7

March

0.51.50.3-0.40.20.6-0.12.20.12.0

April

0.01.60.1-0.30.61.00.31.90.42.1

May

0.42.00.4-0.30.30.90.11.70.42.5

June

0.01.90.30.00.20.70.01.50.02.6

July

0.11.8-0.1-0.20.00.8-0.21.30.02.7

August

-0.31.3-0.2-0.10.11.00.31.60.22.7

September

0.01.20.0-0.10.21.30.51.9

October

-0.21.4-0.2-0.10.21.6-0.11.5

November

-0.40.90.00.30.01.60.01.6

December

-0.50.4-0.40.50.01.90.11.7

The Consumer Price Index for September 2018 is scheduled to be released Thursday, October 11, 2018, 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 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 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 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 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.

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
Jun.
2018
Jul.
2018
Aug.
2018
Aug.
2017
Jun.
2018
Jul.
2018

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0
265.950265.830266.4252.70.20.2

All items (December 1977 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100AA0
418.790418.601419.537   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF
259.463260.347260.7752.00.50.2

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF1
259.751260.792261.2352.20.60.2

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF11
248.297249.803250.0621.60.70.1

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF111
294.591293.679295.222 0.20.5

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF112
250.865253.426252.192 0.5-0.5

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFJ
226.589227.522227.518 0.40.0

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF113
309.281311.877314.739 1.80.9

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF114
173.388173.237173.848 0.30.4

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF115
222.496224.812224.101 0.7-0.3

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFV
280.296280.675281.3922.90.40.3

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF116
254.531253.506253.7460.6-0.30.1

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH
282.981283.331284.4963.00.50.4

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH1
350.467351.001353.1802.90.80.6

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHA
350.756351.404352.8012.40.60.4

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC
361.602362.176363.2292.70.40.3

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC01
361.343361.919362.9592.70.40.3

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH2
230.698230.350228.7985.3-0.8-0.7

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH21
204.835204.419202.8265.7-1.0-0.8

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF
201.668201.014198.9792.7-1.3-1.0

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF01
209.370208.488206.7912.1-1.2-0.8

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF02
173.417173.183170.7565.7-1.5-1.4

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH3
119.058119.322119.1320.00.1-0.2

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAA
127.969124.772128.098-2.00.12.7

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT
211.842210.687209.6265.2-1.0-0.5

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT1
203.986203.643202.9416.0-0.5-0.3

New and used motor vehicles(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA
96.91997.37496.6661.6-0.3-0.7

New vehicles

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA01
144.753143.208142.147-1.0-1.8-0.7

New cars and trucks(2)(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS4501A
100.31199.24798.528-0.9-1.8-0.7

New cars(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS45011
134.122132.623131.954-1.2-1.6-0.5

Used cars and trucks

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA02
144.905146.608147.0091.51.50.3

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB
253.434250.214250.12919.8-1.30.0

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB01
252.382249.152249.08019.7-1.30.0

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47014
250.155246.882246.77720.1-1.40.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47015
264.991261.981262.23018.7-1.00.1

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47016
257.071254.288254.42117.2-1.00.1

Motor vehicle insurance(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETE
617.184615.988615.044 -0.3-0.2

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM
504.804504.541505.3032.10.10.2

Medical care commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM1
391.864390.243393.8951.70.50.9

Medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM2
537.165537.320537.1912.20.00.0

Professional services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEMC
380.169380.806380.3060.90.0-0.1

Recreation(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAR
124.030123.961123.684-0.3-0.3-0.2

Education and communication(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAE
140.936141.292141.6731.90.50.3

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEEB
1,218.8261,220.4201,231.560 1.00.9

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAG
489.340488.926488.9102.6-0.10.0

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAC
191.708191.270191.7402.90.00.2

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL11
154.544153.618154.0783.5-0.30.3

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL11
202.521200.744202.0155.9-0.20.6

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAD
102.410102.233102.0190.0-0.4-0.2

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAS
337.595337.754338.4722.50.30.2

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L2
236.876236.513236.5252.5-0.10.0

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L5
255.465255.352255.9402.70.20.2

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL1
158.200157.267157.7223.4-0.30.3

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAN
231.301230.734231.6303.80.10.4

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL1
205.535203.805205.0135.5-0.30.6

Services less rent of shelter(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL2RS
335.405335.164334.3262.1-0.3-0.3

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL5
323.838323.997324.7732.60.30.2

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0E
224.930223.343222.38211.8-1.1-0.4

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0LE
272.809272.843273.6072.00.30.3

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L1E
276.860276.730277.5521.90.20.3

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base.
(2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 13, 2018