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Impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Consumer Price Index data for May 2020

Note: In table 7, the list of data series shown as inadequate for publication has been corrected.

This page provides further information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for the May 2020 Consumer Price Index news release.

Collection mode

Data collection for May 2020 involved no personal visits, so all data were collected either online or through telephone interviews. An example of this is full-service restaurants; if a restaurant was closed for dine-in service, but open for take-out or delivery, the data collector attempted to obtain the price from the restaurant’s website or by telephone call with the respondent, rather than a personal visit.

Table 1. Collection modes for the commodities and services price survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Personal visit Telephone Online Personal visit Telephone Online

March

 74 10 16 44 14 42

April

 74 10 16 0 18 82

May

 74 10 16 0 17 83

Average Feb 2019–Feb 2020

 73 10 17      
Table 2. Collection modes for the housing survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Personal visit Telephone Personal visit Telephone

March

 36 64 30 70

April

 38 62 0 100

May

 39 61 0 100

Average Feb 2019–Feb 2020

 38 62    

Response rates

For some CPI market basket categories, the percentage of the sample collected in May 2020 was notably lower than average. These included food at employee sites and schools, haircuts and other personal care services, admissions (to things like sporting events and concerts), fees for lessons or instructions, and household paper products.

There was a lower percentage of collected rents in May 2020 compared with May 2019.

Table 3. Response rates for the commodities and services price survey
Month 2019 2020
Collected prices Uncollected prices Collected prices Uncollected prices

March

 87 13 75 25

April

 86 14 65 35

May

 87 13 68 32

Average Feb 2019–Feb 2020

 86 14    
Table 4. Response rates for the housing survey
Month 2019 2020
Collected rents Vacant units Uncollected rents Collected rents Vacant units Uncollected rents

March

 67 6 27 63 5 32

April

 68 6 26 61 4 35

May

 69 6 25 61 4 35

Average Feb 2019–Feb 2020

 68 6 26      

Imputation

In May 2020, the CPI continued to impute the majority of uncollected prices from collected prices within the same item and geographic area (home cell). However, the number of prices imputed from a different item area cell (different cell) increased from the same time in 2019. There were no instances where the data from the previous month was imputed to the current month (carry forward).

Table 5. Imputation source for the commodities and services price survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Home cell Different cell Carry forward Home cell Different cell Carry forward

March

 94 6 0 90 10 0

April

 92 8 0 84 16 0

May

 92 8 0 85 15 0

Nonvacant units with respondents previously reporting, but not currently reporting, receive non-interview imputation for use in the CPI. Vacant units that were previously occupied by renters are also imputed for use in estimation by separate methods. Table 6 below shows a reduction in vacancy imputation performed in the current month relative to the same time last year.

Table 6. Imputation source for the housing survey, percent
Month 2019 2020
Noninterview Vacancy Noninterview Vacancy

March

 82 18 87 13

April

 82 18 90 10

May

 82 18 91 9

Cell, series, index, or observation suppression

Table 7 lists the data series that were both inadequate for publication in May 2020 because of insufficient sample and that were adequate over the year before March 2020.

Table 7. List of data inadequate for publication for May 2020
LABSTAT ID Item Area

CPI-U Series

CUUR0000SS16014

 Peanut butter U.S. city average

CUUR0000SS20053

 Distilled spirits away from home U.S. city average

CUUR0000SS53021

 Intercity bus fare U.S. city average

CUURN100SAGS

 Other personal services Northeast Size class B/C

CUURS24ASAGS

 Other personal services Minneapolis, MN

CUURS49FSAF116

 Alcoholic beverages Urban Hawaii

CUURS49FSAGS

 Other personal services Urban Hawaii

CPI-W Series

CWUR0120SAGS

 Other personal services Middle Atlantic

CWURN100SAGS

 Other personal services Northeast Size class B/C

CWURS24ASAGS

 Other personal services Minneapolis, MN

CWURS37ASAF116

 Alcoholic beverages Dallas, TX

CWURS49CSAGS

 Other personal services Riverside, CA

CWURS49FSAF116

 Alcoholic beverages Urban Hawaii

CWURS49FSAGS

 Other personal services Urban Hawaii

C-CPI-U Series

No series were inadequate for publication.

AP Series

APU0000706111

 Chicken, fresh, whole, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000706311

 Turkey, frozen, whole, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000711411

 Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000711412

 Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000711417

 Grapes, Thompson Seedless, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000712211

 Lettuce, iceberg, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000712406

 Peppers, sweet, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000712412

 Broccoli, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000714233

 Beans, dried, any type, all sizes, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000FD2101

 All Ham (Excluding Canned Ham and Luncheon Slices), per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000FL2101

 Lettuce, romaine, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0100711211

 Bananas, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100711311

 Oranges, Navel, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100711411

 Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100711412

 Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100711415

 Strawberries, dry pint, per 12 oz. (340.2 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100FC4101

 All Uncooked Other Beef (Excluding Veal), per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100FD2101

 All Ham (Excluding Canned Ham and Luncheon Slices), per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100FD4101

 All Other Pork (Excluding Canned Ham and Luncheon Slices), per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100FF1101

 Chicken breast, boneless, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast urban

APU0100FJ1101

 Milk, low-fat, reduced fat, skim, gallon container Northeast urban

APU0200709112

 Milk, fresh, whole, fortified, per gal. (3.8 lit) Midwest urban

APU0200711411

 Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) Midwest urban

APU0200711412

 Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) Midwest urban

APU0300701312

 Rice, white, long grain, uncooked, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300706111

 Chicken, fresh, whole, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300711311

 Oranges, Navel, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300711411

 Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300711412

 Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300711415

 Strawberries, dry pint, per 12 oz. (340.2 gm) South urban

APU0300711417

 Grapes, Thompson Seedless, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300712112

 Potatoes, white, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300712211

 Lettuce, iceberg, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300714233

 Beans, dried, any type, all sizes, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300716116

 Margarine, soft, tubs, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300FD2101

 All Ham (Excluding Canned Ham and Luncheon Slices), per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0300FL2101

 Lettuce, romaine, per lb. (453.6 gm) South urban

APU0400701111

 Flour, white, all purpose, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400702212

 Bread, whole wheat, pan, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400703112

 Ground beef, 100% beef, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400704312

 Ham, boneless, excluding canned, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400705111

 Frankfurters, all meat or all beef, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400711411

 Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400711412

 Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400711415

 Strawberries, dry pint, per 12 oz. (340.2 gm) West urban

APU0400714233

 Beans, dried, any type, all sizes, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400FC1101

 All uncooked ground beef, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400FD2101

 All Ham (Excluding Canned Ham and Luncheon Slices), per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400FD3101

 All Pork Chops, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400FD4101

 All Other Pork (Excluding Canned Ham and Luncheon Slices), per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400FF1101

 Chicken breast, boneless, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

APU0400FL2101

 Lettuce, romaine, per lb. (453.6 gm) West urban

Measures of error

The standard error of the CPI’s change can be used to construct confidence intervals to determine whether the change for a particular CPI series is significantly different from zero. Table 8 shows the 1- and 12-month standard error for selected indexes at the U.S. level.

Table 8. Impact on variances
Expenditure category One month Twelve month
May 2019 May 2020 May 2019 May 2020

All items

 0.03 0.04 0.07 0.10

Food and beverages

 0.07 0.10 0.14 0.17

Food

 0.07 0.11 0.15 0.17

Housing

 0.05 0.05 0.12 0.14

Apparel

 0.55 0.39 1.10 0.80

Transportation

 0.08 0.13 0.16 0.18

Medical care

 0.16 0.12 0.43 0.53

Recreation

 0.17 0.33 0.47 0.48

Education and communication

 0.07 0.05 0.20 0.28

Other goods and services

 0.15 0.10 0.32 0.32

Energy

 0.12 0.30 0.27 0.20

All items less food and energy

 0.04 0.05 0.08 0.11

Last Modified Date: December 3, 2020