FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Patrick C. Jackman (202) 606-7000 USDL-98-108 CPI QUICKLINE: (202) 606-6994 TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN FOR CURRENT AND HISTORICAL THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED INFORMATION: (202) 606-7828 UNTIL 8:30 A.M. (EST) MEDIA CONTACT: (202) 606-5902 Thursday, March 19, 1998 INTERNET ADDRESS: http://stats.bls.gov/cpihome.htm CONSUMER PRICE INDEX: FEBRUARY 1998 The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.2 percent in February before seasonal adjustment to a level of 161.9 (1982- 84=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in February, the CPI-U has increased 1.4 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rose 0.1 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. The February 1998 CPI-W level of 158.5 was 1.1 percent higher than the index in February 1997. CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.1 percent in February after being unchanged in January. The food index, which advanced 0.3 percent in January, was unchanged in February. Grocery store food prices declined 0.1 percent after increasing 0.4 percent in January, reflecting a sharp turnaround in the index for fruits and vegetables. The energy index declined sharply for the third consecutive month--down 2.2 percent in February. The index for petroleum-based energy decreased 3.3 percent, and the index for energy services declined 1.2 percent. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 0.3 percent, following an increase of 0.2 percent in January. Larger advances in shelter costs and tobacco prices, coupled with an upturn in the index for apparel, were responsible for the larger February increase. Table A. Percent changes in CPI for Urban Consumers (CPI-U) Seasonally adjusted Un- Compound adjusted Expenditure Changes from preceding month annual rate 12-mos. Category 1997 1998 3-mos. ended ended Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. '98 Feb. '98. All Items .2 .2 .2 .1 .1 .0 .1 .5 1.4 Food and beverages .3 .1 .2 .2 .1 .3 .0 1.3 1.8 Housing .1 .3 .3 .3 .1 .1 .1 1.0 1.9 Apparel -.5 .2 .1 .1 .2 -.5 .2 -.9 .0 Transportation .6 .3 .0 -.6 -.3 -.3 -.4 -4.1 -1.9 Medical care .2 .2 .2 .3 .3 .1 .3 3.1 2.8 Recreation - - - - - .3 .3 - 1.5 Education and communication - - - - - .0 -.1 - 2.4 Other goods and services .5 .3 .7 .4 .4 .4 .8 6.8 5.6 Special Indexes Energy 1.5 .9 -.2 .0 -1.8 -2.4 -2.2 -22.9 -8.8 Food .3 .1 .3 .1 .0 .3 .0 1.3 1.9 All Items less food and energy .1 .2 .2 .1 .2 .2 .3 2.8 2.3 The food and beverages index was unchanged in February. The index for grocery store food prices, which rose 0.4 percent in January, declined 0.1 percent in February, due to a sharp turnaround in the index for fruits and vegetables--down 0.8 percent in February after registering a 2.9 percent increase in January. The index for fresh vegetables fell 7.2 percent, more than offsetting a 5.8 percent rise in the index for fresh fruits. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, fresh vegetable prices declined 10.0 percent, while fresh fruit prices were virtually unchanged.) The index for processed fruits and vegetables fell 0.7 percent. Among the other major grocery store food groups, the indexes for dairy and related products and for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs also declined-down 0.4 and 0.1 percent, respectively. Within the latter group, prices for beef declined 0.6 percent, while the indexes for pork and poultry each increased 0.1 percent. The other three major groups--cereal and bakery products, nonalcoholic beverages, and other food at home--each registered a small increase. The other two components of the food and beverage index--food away from home and alcoholic beverages--rose 0.3 and declined 0.1 percent, respectively. The housing component rose 0.1 percent in February, the same as in January. Shelter costs rose 0.3 percent. Within shelter, the index for rent rose 0.1 percent, owners' equivalent rent increased 0.3 percent, and the cost of lodging away from home increased 0.5 percent. The index for fuels and utilities, which decreased 1.2 percent in January, fell 0.9 percent in February. The index for household fuels declined 1.3 percent, reflecting decreases in the indexes for fuel oil (3.0 percent), natural gas (1.5 percent), and electricity (1.2 percent). The index for household furnishings and operation increased 0.3 percent in February. The transportation component declined for the fourth consecutive month, down 0.4 percent in February. For the second consecutive month, a sharp drop in the index for motor fuels more than offset a large increase in the index for public transportation. The index for gasoline fell 3.4 percent in February and has declined 10.8 percent in the last five months. As of February, gasoline prices were 21.3 percent lower than their peak level of November 1990. The index for new and used vehicle prices was unchanged; the index for new vehicles declined 0.1 percent, and used car and truck prices rose 0.2 percent. (As of February, about 85 percent of the new vehicle sample was represented by 1998 models.) Public transportation costs rose 1.4 percent in February. The index for airline fares increased substantially for the second consecutive month, up 3.2 percent in February, following a 2.7 percent rise in January. The index for other intercity transportation also rose substantially in February-up 1.5 percent. The index for apparel increased 0.2 percent in February, following a 0.5 percent decline in January. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, apparel prices rose 1.6 percent, reflecting the introduction of higher priced spring-summer wear.) Medical care costs rose 0.3 percent in February to a level 2.8 percent above a year ago. The index for medical care commodities--prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and medical supplies--rose 0.1 percent. The index for medical care services rose 0.4 percent. Charges for professional services and for hospital and related services increased 0.2 and 0.5 percent, respectively. Recreation costs rose 0.3 percent in February, the same as in January. Increases in the indexes for admissions to movies, theaters, concerts, and sporting events, for newspapers and magazines, and for cable television accounted for about three-fourths of the February advance. The index for education and communication declined 0.1 percent in February. A 0.3 percent increase in education costs was more than offset by a 0.4 percent decrease in communication costs. Within the communication category, declines in the indexes for personal computers and peripheral equipment and for cellular telephone services--down 5.8 and 0.9 percent, respectively--were responsible for the decrease. The index for other goods and services rose 0.8 percent in February. About three-fourths of the advance was accounted for by a 2.9 percent increase in the index for tobacco and smoking products. Several cigarette companies raised their wholesale prices in late January. CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers was unchanged in February. Table B. Percent changes in CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) Seasonally adjusted Un- Compound adjust ed Expenditure Changes from preceding month annual 12- rate mos. Category 1997 1998 3-mos. ended ended Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. '98 Feb. '98 All Items .3 .2 .2 .1 .1 .0 .0 .3 1.1 Food and beverages .3 .1 .3 .1 .0 .3 .0 1.3 1.8 Housing .1 .3 .3 .3 .0 .0 .1 .5 1.8 Apparel -.5 .2 .0 .0 .0 -.5 -.2 -2.7 -.5 Transportation .7 .2 -.1 -.6 -.3 -.5 -.4 -4.7 -2.4 Medical care .2 .2 .2 .3 .4 .2 .2 3.1 2.8 Recreation - - - - - .3 .3 - 1.5 Education and communication - - - - - -.1 .0 - 2.4 Other goods and services .4 .5 .7 .4 .4 .5 1.1 8.2 6.1 Special Indexes Energy 1.7 .9 -.2 -.2 -1.9 -2.5 -2.1 -23.0 -9.1 Food .3 .1 .2 .2 -.1 .4 -.1 1.0 1.8 All Items less food and energy .0 .2 .2 .1 .2 .2 .2 2.4 2.1 Consumer Price Index data for March are scheduled for release on Tuesday April 14, 1998, at 8:30 A.M. (EDT). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CPI (Old Series) For the first six months of 1998, BLS also will calculate Old Series CPI-U and Old Series CPI-W based on the 1982-84 expenditure pattern used in the CPI from 1987 through 1997. These Old Series data are contained in tables 1(OS)-4(OS). From January to February, the Old Series CPI-U and the Old Series CPI-W each rose 0.2 percent. Note these series are not seasonally adjusted. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overview of Publication Changes Beginning in 1998, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) introduced a new geographic area sample, a revised item structure and updated expenditure weights into the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Approximately every ten years the CPI undertakes this type of revision in order to keep the index up-to-date. Since World War II, revisions of the CPI have been introduced in 1953, 1964, 1978, and 1987. Because the changes the CPI undergoes during each revision can have a major impact on our users, special steps are taken in order to ameliorate the effects of these changes. Beginning with the release of the January, 1997 index, data series that are changing or being dropped from publication have been footnoted in all BLS published tables. This provided an early warning to users to reconsider their use of those indexes and provided time for them to make changes in their use. The 1998 CPI Revision contains substantial changes in both the items being presented and the frequency of local area index publication. Changes to the Item Structure Effective in 1998, there are considerable changes to both the items being priced and the manner in which they are being aggregated in the CPI. The most notable change in presentation is a reconstruction of several major groups with a resulting change from the currently available seven major groups to the new total of eight. Formerly the major groups were: Food and Beverages, Housing, Apparel and Upkeep, Transportation, Medical Care, Entertainment and Other Goods and Services. Three of these groups-- Food and Beverages, Transportation, and Medical care will remain the same. The Apparel group was modified to exclude apparel upkeep products and services. The Entertainment group has been slightly redefined into a major group called Recreation and a new major group, Education and Communication, has been formed from past subelements of the Housing, Entertainment and Other Goods and Services groups. Other important changes in our item structure at lower levels are an expansion of our Food Away from Home index, a reorientation of our car and truck indexes to a vehicle index, and the expansion of our information processing equipment index. For a complete listing of the new CPI Publication Structure see Table X. Changes to the Geographic Structure In each revision, the CPI geographic sample is selected to be representative of the current demographics of the United States. The 1998 revision utilizes the 1990 Census of population. The CPI developed an updated area sample design, decided on new local area indexes and changed the frequency of publication for local area indexes in order to better reflect these new demographics. In addition to the national index, the BLS formerly published indexes for 29 metropolitan areas. In 1998, it continues to publish indexes for all but two of these areas--Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY, and New Orleans, LA. Due to the revised Metropolitan Area (MA) definitions issued by the Office of Management and Budget(OMB), two other areas, Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD, which the BLS formerly published separately, constitute a new Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area. A single index is now published for this consolidated area. The new publication plan for local area indexes, that began with the index for January, 1998, is summarized below: * Monthly indexes are now published for the three largest metropolitan areas. Because of sample design considerations, indexes for the Philadelphia and San Francisco areas, both formerly published monthly, are now published every other month following the release of the December 1997 index. * Bimonthly indexes are published for the next 11 largest areas, including Atlanta and Seattle, which used to have semiannual average indexes. * Semiannual average indexes are now published for 12 additional areas, including Pittsburgh and St. Louis, which formerly had bimonthly indexes. * The BLS continues to publish separate indexes for the four Census regions of the United States. However, beginning in 1998, there are only two area size classes for metropolitan areas, instead of the current three: Size A - areas with a population greater than 1.5 million; and Size B/C - areas with less than 1.5 million population. This cutoff of 1.5 million in population reflects a rise from the current cutoff of 1.2 million and is important since cities in size class A are those for which the Bureau publishes city level indexes. The B/C size class is a combination of the old Size B and Size C metropolitan areas. In addition to the two metropolitan area size indexes for each region, separate Size D indexes for urban non-metropolitan areas continue to be published for both the Midwest and the South. Separate indexes for Northeast and West urban nonmetropolitan areas were discontinued in 1987. The following is the full list of areas for which indexes are currently published, beginning in January, 1998: 1. Metropolitan Areas for which a local index is published monthly: New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA 2. Metropolitan Areas for which a local index is published bimonthly: In Odd Months (i.e. January, In Even Months (i.e. March, etc.) February, April, etc.) ---------------------------- ---------------------- Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH- Philadelphia-Wilmington- ME-CT Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD- San Francisco-Oakland-San VA-WV Jose, CA Cleveland-Akron, OH Atlanta, GA Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA 3. Metropolitan Areas for which a local index is published semiannually (In January and July) Pittsburgh, PA Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN Kansas City, MO-KS Milwaukee-Racine, WI Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI St. Louis, MO-IL Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Anchorage, AK Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO Honolulu, HI Portland-Salem, OR-WA San Diego, CA ------------------------------------------------------------------ BLS to Maintain Current Reference Base of 1982-84-100 for most CPI index series The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) previously indicated its intention to change the numerical reference base for both the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from their present 1982-84=100 base to a 1993-95=100 base, effective with release of the January 1999 index in February 1999. BLS also indicated that the alternate, or 1967=100 base, would be discontinued in 1999 as well. This plan was initially described in the December 1996 Monthly Labor Review, a publication which contained several articles that dealt with the 1998 CPI Revision. The BLS has now decided not to implement this rebasing plan. Instead, the BLS will maintain the reference base of 1982-84=100 used for most items. In addition, the 1967=100 reference base will continue to be the alternate base for the All Items indexes. This decision is based in part on the fact that historical data have less precision after rebasing. Rebasing is simply an arithmetic transformation that does not substantially impact the index. Because the rebased index values are smaller, however, the loss of precision due to rounding is more serious. In addition, retaining the old index reference bases would spare users the inconvenience associated with conversion. Changes in the numerical reference base should not be confused with the plans by BLS to update the market basket of the CPI. With release of the January CPI in February 1998, the expenditure weights applied to CPI categories will be based on consumer spending patterns for 1993-95. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A Note on Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Data Because price data are used for different purposes by different groups, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes seasonally adjusted as well as unadjusted changes each month. For analyzing general 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 changing climatic conditions, production cycles, model changeovers, holidays, and sales. The unadjusted data are of primary interest to consumers concerned about the prices they actually pay. Unadjusted data also are used extensively for escalation purposes. Many collective bargaining contract agreements and pension plans, for example, tie compensation changes to the Consumer Price Index unadjusted for seasonal variation. Seasonal factors used in computing the seasonally adjusted indexes are derived by the X-12-ARIMA Seasonal Adjustment Method. The updated seasonal data at the end of 1977 replaced data from 1967 through 1977. Subsequent annual updates have replaced 5 years of seasonal data, e.g., data from 1993 through 1997 were replaced at the end of 1997. The seasonal movement of all items and 54 other aggregations is derived by combining the seasonal movement of 73 selected components. Each year the seasonal status of every series is reevaluated based upon certain statistical criteria. If any of the 73 components change their seasonal adjustment status from seasonally adjusted to not seasonally adjusted, not seasonally adjusted data will be used for the last 5 years, but the seasonally adjusted indexes will be used before that period. Seasonally adjusted data, including the All items index levels, are subject to revision for up to five years after their original release. For this reason, BLS advises against the use of these data in escalation agreements. Effective with the calculation of the seasonal factors for 1990, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has used an enhanced seasonal adjustment procedure called Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment for some CPI series. Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment allows for better estimates of seasonally adjusted data. Extreme values and/or sharp movements which might distort the seasonal pattern are estimated and removed from the data prior to calculation of seasonal factors. Beginning with the calculation of seasonal factors for 1996, X-12-ARIMA software was used for Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment. For the fuel oil and the motor fuels indexes, this procedure was used to offset the effects that extreme price volatility would otherwise have had on the estimates of seasonally adjusted data for those series. For some women's apparel indexes and the girls' apparel index, the procedure was used to offset the effects of changes in pricing methodology. For the tobacco and smoking products index, this procedure was used to offset the effects of increases in excise taxes and wholesale tobacco prices. For some alcoholic beverage series, Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment was used to offset the effects of excise tax increases. For the Nonalcoholic beverages index, the procedure was used to offset the effects of a large increase in coffee prices due to adverse weather. For the Water and sewerage maintenance index, the procedure was used to account for a data collection anomaly. A description of Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment, as well as a list of unusual events modeled and seasonal factors for these items may be obtained by writing the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Consumer Prices and Price Indexes, Washington, DC 20212 or by calling Claire McAnaw Gallagher on (202) 606-6968. Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Unadjusted Relative Unadjusted indexes percent change to Seasonally adjusted importance, Feb. 1998 from- percent change from- CPI-U December 1997 Jan. Feb. 1998 1998 Feb. Jan. Nov. to Dec. to Jan. to 1997 1998 Dec. Jan. Feb. Expenditure category All items ................................... 100.000 161.6 161.9 1.4 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 All items (1967=100) ........................ - 484.2 484.9 - - - - - Food and beverages ......................... 16.310 160.3 159.8 1.8 -0.3 0.1 0.3 0.0 Food ...................................... 15.326 159.9 159.4 1.9 -0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 Food at home ............................. 9.646 161.0 160.0 1.5 -0.6 -0.1 0.4 -0.1 Cereals and bakery products ............. 1.536 179.0 179.7 1.7 0.4 0.2 -0.1 0.2 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .......... 2.629 148.3 147.5 -0.9 -0.5 -0.6 -0.3 -0.1 Dairy and related products (1)........... 1.037 148.3 147.7 1.0 -0.4 0.5 0.3 -0.4 Fruits and vegetables ................... 1.394 202.1 193.8 3.4 -4.1 -0.4 2.9 -0.8 Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials ........................... 1.077 134.1 134.8 4.9 0.5 -0.7 -0.2 0.1 Other food at home ...................... 1.972 148.7 149.1 2.5 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 Sugar and sweets ....................... .377 150.3 149.6 1.6 -0.5 0.4 0.5 -0.4 Fats and oils .......................... .291 140.5 141.5 -0.8 0.7 0.1 -1.1 0.7 Other foods ............................ 1.305 163.6 164.2 2.2 0.4 0.6 0.1 0.1 Other miscellaneous foods (1) (2)...... .309 100.4 100.4 - 0.0 - 0.4 0.0 Food away from home (1)................... 5.680 159.2 159.6 2.6 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.3 Other food away from home (1) (2)........ .172 100.1 100.4 - 0.3 - 0.1 0.3 Alcoholic beverages ...................... .983 164.6 165.0 2.0 0.2 0.2 0.2 -0.1 Housing .................................... 39.560 158.3 158.8 1.9 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 Shelter ................................... 29.788 179.2 180.1 3.2 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.3 Rent of primary residence ................ 6.885 169.5 169.9 3.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.1 Lodging away from home (2)................ 2.327 105.1 109.3 - 4.0 - -0.2 0.5 Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (3)......................... 20.199 185.1 185.5 3.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3 Tenants' and household insurance (1) (2).. .377 100.3 100.2 - -0.1 - 0.3 -0.1 Fuels and utilities ....................... 4.942 128.8 127.4 -2.7 -1.1 -1.1 -1.2 -0.9 Fuels .................................... 4.018 114.5 112.8 -5.4 -1.5 -2.0 -1.6 -1.3 Fuel oil and other fuels ................ .261 96.4 95.2 -13.1 -1.2 -0.4 -2.1 -2.3 Gas (piped) and electricity ............. 3.757 121.6 119.7 -4.5 -1.6 -2.2 -1.5 -1.2 Household furnishings and operations ...... 4.831 125.6 126.1 0.7 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.3 Apparel .................................... 4.944 129.8 131.9 0.0 1.6 0.2 -0.5 0.2 Men's and boys' apparel ................... 1.390 129.8 130.8 2.7 0.8 0.6 0.2 0.0 Women's and girls' apparel ................ 1.990 120.2 124.3 -1.4 3.4 -0.4 -1.0 0.7 Infants' and toddlers' apparel (1)......... .268 124.8 123.1 -3.2 -1.4 -0.2 -0.8 -1.4 Footwear .................................. .895 127.4 126.6 0.2 -0.6 0.8 -0.5 -1.3 Transportation ............................. 17.578 142.7 142.1 -1.9 -0.4 -0.3 -0.3 -0.4 Private transportation .................... 16.240 139.3 138.4 -2.5 -0.6 -0.3 -0.5 -0.6 New and used motor vehicles (2)........... 7.899 100.2 100.2 -1.4 0.0 - 0.1 0.0 New vehicles ............................ 5.063 144.4 144.4 -0.7 0.0 -0.2 0.1 -0.1 Used cars and trucks (1)................. 1.880 148.1 148.4 -3.9 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 Motor fuel ............................... 2.995 97.8 94.1 -13.0 -3.8 -1.5 -3.7 -3.3 Gasoline (all types) .................... 2.976 97.2 93.5 -12.9 -3.8 -1.6 -3.6 -3.4 Motor vehicle parts and equipment ........ .560 101.3 101.4 -1.2 0.1 -0.2 -0.3 0.1 Motor vehicle maintenance and repair ..... 1.603 165.0 165.5 2.7 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.3 Public transportation ..................... 1.338 187.1 191.2 4.8 2.2 -0.2 1.6 1.4 Medical care ............................... 5.614 238.1 239.3 2.8 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.3 Medical care commodities .................. 1.222 217.6 218.4 2.1 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.1 Medical care services ..................... 4.392 242.9 244.2 3.0 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.4 Professional services .................... 2.808 218.5 219.7 3.0 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.2 Hospital and related services ............ 1.334 283.5 285.2 3.1 0.6 0.5 -0.1 0.5 Recreation (2).............................. 6.145 100.3 100.7 1.5 0.4 - 0.3 0.3 Video and audio (1) (2).................... 1.763 100.6 101.2 2.2 0.6 -0.3 0.6 0.6 Education and communication (2)............. 5.528 99.9 99.8 2.4 -0.1 - 0.0 -0.1 Education (2).............................. 2.615 100.3 100.4 5.0 0.1 - 0.4 0.3 Educational books and supplies ........... .194 245.1 246.9 4.9 0.7 0.4 -0.2 0.7 Tuition, other school fees, and childcare 2.421 289.2 289.2 5.0 0.0 0.4 0.5 0.3 Communication (1) (2)...................... 2.913 99.6 99.2 -1.3 -0.4 -0.1 -0.4 -0.4 Information and information processing (1) (2)................................... 2.706 99.6 99.1 -1.5 -0.5 -0.1 -0.4 -0.5 Telephone services (1) (2)............... 2.357 99.9 100.0 - 0.1 - -0.1 0.1 Information and information processing other than telephone services (1) (4) .350 46.2 44.3 -16.7 -4.1 -0.4 -2.5 -4.1 Personal computers and peripheral equipment (1) (2)................... .234 96.9 91.3 - -5.8 - -3.1 -5.8 Other goods and services ................... 4.321 231.3 233.1 5.6 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.8 Tobacco and smoking products .............. .894 253.8 261.2 10.0 2.9 0.7 0.7 2.9 Personal care (1).......................... 3.427 154.6 155.0 2.3 0.3 -0.2 0.4 0.3 Personal care products (1)................ .737 146.1 146.7 2.4 0.4 -0.5 0.6 0.4 Personal care services (1)................ .963 164.3 164.3 2.2 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 Miscellaneous personal services .......... 1.465 230.9 232.1 4.6 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.0 Commodity and service group Commodities ................................. 42.635 141.6 141.5 -0.2 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 Food and beverages ......................... 16.310 160.3 159.8 1.8 -0.3 0.1 0.3 0.0 Commodities less food and beverages ........ 26.326 130.5 130.5 -1.6 0.0 -0.2 -0.4 -0.2 Nondurables less food and beverages ....... 14.729 132.0 132.1 -1.9 0.1 -0.1 -1.1 -0.1 Apparel .................................. 4.944 129.8 131.9 0.0 1.6 0.2 -0.5 0.2 Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .............................. 9.785 138.1 137.2 -2.7 -0.7 -0.4 -1.2 -0.6 Durables .................................. 11.596 128.2 128.2 -1.2 0.0 -0.2 0.2 -0.2 Services .................................... 57.365 181.8 182.4 2.6 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 Rent of shelter (3)......................... 29.410 186.5 187.5 3.2 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.3 Transportation services .................... 6.984 187.1 187.9 2.5 0.4 0.1 0.6 0.4 Other services ............................. 10.625 213.7 214.4 3.7 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.2 Special indexes All items less food ......................... 84.674 161.9 162.3 1.3 0.2 0.1 -0.1 0.1 All items less shelter ...................... 70.212 156.4 156.4 0.7 0.0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 All items less medical care ................. 94.386 157.3 157.5 1.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 Commodities less food ....................... 27.309 131.9 131.9 -1.4 0.0 -0.1 -0.4 -0.2 Nondurables less food ....................... 15.712 133.9 134.1 -1.5 0.1 -0.1 -0.9 -0.1 Nondurables less food and apparel ........... 10.768 139.8 138.9 -2.3 -0.6 -0.3 -1.1 -0.6 Nondurables ................................. 31.039 146.2 146.1 0.1 -0.1 -0.1 -0.2 -0.2 Services less rent of shelter (3)............ 27.955 189.9 190.1 2.0 0.1 0.0 -0.1 0.0 Services less medical care services ......... 52.973 176.1 176.6 2.6 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 Energy ...................................... 7.013 105.9 103.2 -8.8 -2.5 -1.8 -2.4 -2.2 All items less energy ....................... 92.987 169.0 169.6 2.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 All items less food and energy ............. 77.661 171.2 172.1 2.3 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.3 Commodities less food and energy commodities ........................... 24.053 142.0 142.7 0.4 0.5 0.0 0.1 0.2 Energy commodities ....................... 3.256 97.8 94.3 -13.2 -3.6 -1.4 -3.5 -3.3 Services less energy services ............. 53.608 187.9 188.8 3.1 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.3 Purchasing power of the consumer dollar ..... - $ .619 $ .618 - - - - - Purchasing power of the consumer dollar - old base .................................... - $ .207 $ .206 - - - - - 1 Not seasonally adjusted. 2 Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 3 Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. 4 Indexes on a December 1988=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 2. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Seasonally adjusted U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Seasonally adjusted indexes Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent change for CPI-U 3 months ended-- 6 months ended-- Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 1997 1997 1998 1998 May Aug. Nov. Feb. Aug. Feb. 1997 1997 1997 1998 1997 1998 Expenditure category All items ................................... 161.8 161.9 161.9 162.0 1.0 2.0 2.3 0.5 1.5 1.4 Food and beverages ......................... 159.2 159.3 159.7 159.7 1.0 3.1 2.0 1.3 2.1 1.6 Food ...................................... 158.9 158.9 159.4 159.4 0.8 3.1 2.0 1.3 1.9 1.7 Food at home ............................. 159.5 159.3 159.9 159.7 0.3 3.6 1.3 0.5 1.9 0.9 Cereals and bakery products ............. 178.8 179.1 179.0 179.4 1.4 2.3 1.8 1.3 1.8 1.6 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .......... 148.6 147.7 147.3 147.2 0.5 1.4 -1.6 -3.7 0.9 -2.7 Dairy and related products (1)........... 147.0 147.8 148.3 147.7 -2.2 -5.4 10.4 1.9 -3.8 6.1 Fruits and vegetables ................... 191.7 190.9 196.5 194.9 -5.2 12.2 2.5 6.8 3.1 4.7 Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials ........................... 135.3 134.3 134.0 134.1 16.9 12.3 -4.6 -3.5 14.6 -4.0 Other food at home ...................... 148.5 148.7 148.7 148.8 5.1 5.3 -0.3 0.8 5.2 0.3 Sugar and sweets ....................... 148.7 149.3 150.0 149.4 1.4 1.1 2.5 1.9 1.2 2.2 Fats and oils .......................... 141.3 141.5 140.0 141.0 -0.6 -0.8 -0.8 -0.8 -0.7 -0.8 Other foods ............................ 162.5 163.4 163.6 163.8 -0.2 2.8 2.8 3.2 1.3 3.0 Other miscellaneous foods (1) (2)...... - 100.0 100.4 100.4 - - - - - - Food away from home (1)................... 158.6 159.0 159.2 159.6 1.8 2.8 3.1 2.5 2.3 2.8 Other food away from home (1) (2)........ - 100.0 100.1 100.4 - - - - - - Alcoholic beverages ...................... 164.1 164.5 164.9 164.8 2.0 2.5 1.7 1.7 2.2 1.7 Housing .................................... 158.2 158.3 158.4 158.6 1.6 2.1 3.4 1.0 1.8 2.2 Shelter ................................... 178.0 178.7 179.0 179.5 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.4 3.2 3.2 Rent of primary residence ................ 168.6 169.1 169.5 169.7 3.2 3.2 3.1 2.6 3.2 2.9 Lodging away from home (2)................ - 100.0 99.8 100.3 - - - - - - Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (3)......................... 183.9 184.5 184.9 185.5 3.2 3.4 2.7 3.5 3.3 3.1 Tenants' and household insurance (1) (2).. - 100.0 100.3 100.2 - - - - - - Fuels and utilities ....................... 132.1 130.7 129.1 127.9 -5.1 1.2 6.3 -12.1 -2.0 -3.4 Fuels .................................... 118.4 116.0 114.2 112.7 -10.6 0.0 9.7 -17.9 -5.5 -5.1 Fuel oil and other fuels ................ 96.5 96.1 94.1 91.9 -19.2 -14.0 -0.4 -17.7 -16.6 -9.5 Gas (piped) and electricity ............. 126.4 123.6 121.8 120.3 -9.5 1.6 10.8 -18.0 -4.1 -4.7 Household furnishings and operations ...... 125.4 125.4 125.7 126.1 1.6 -1.3 0.6 2.3 0.2 1.4 Apparel .................................... 133.0 133.2 132.5 132.7 2.4 -2.1 1.2 -0.9 0.2 0.2 Men's and boys' apparel ................... 130.9 131.7 132.0 132.0 5.1 1.9 0.9 3.4 3.5 2.2 Women's and girls' apparel ................ 126.1 125.6 124.4 125.3 1.9 -5.6 3.2 -2.5 -1.9 0.3 Infants' and toddlers' apparel (1)......... 126.0 125.8 124.8 123.1 22.4 -18.1 -4.0 -8.9 0.2 -6.5 Footwear .................................. 128.5 129.5 128.8 127.1 1.9 2.2 1.6 -4.3 2.1 -1.4 Transportation ............................. 143.9 143.5 143.0 142.4 -3.3 1.1 -1.1 -4.1 -1.1 -2.6 Private transportation .................... 140.7 140.3 139.6 138.8 -4.7 1.7 -1.4 -5.3 -1.5 -3.4 New and used motor vehicles (2)........... - 100.0 100.1 100.1 - - - - - - New vehicles ............................ 143.7 143.4 143.6 143.5 -0.3 -0.6 -1.4 -0.6 -0.4 -1.0 Used cars and trucks (1)................. 147.6 147.9 148.1 148.4 -1.3 -13.3 -2.4 2.2 -7.5 -0.1 Motor fuel ............................... 105.1 103.5 99.7 96.4 -23.0 10.8 -4.8 -29.2 -7.6 -17.9 Gasoline (all types) .................... 104.7 103.0 99.3 95.9 -23.1 11.7 -5.2 -29.6 -7.3 -18.3 Motor vehicle parts and equipment ........ 101.5 101.3 101.0 101.1 -1.9 0.4 -1.6 -1.6 -0.8 -1.6 Motor vehicle maintenance and repair ..... 163.9 164.7 165.0 165.5 2.8 2.5 1.5 4.0 2.6 2.7 Public transportation ..................... 186.1 185.8 188.8 191.4 12.1 -5.4 1.7 11.9 3.0 6.7 Medical care ............................... 237.1 237.9 238.2 238.9 3.3 2.1 2.7 3.1 2.7 2.9 Medical care commodities .................. 216.4 217.4 217.8 218.0 3.4 0.4 1.5 3.0 1.9 2.2 Medical care services ..................... 241.6 242.4 242.6 243.5 3.3 2.4 3.0 3.2 2.8 3.1 Professional services .................... 217.5 218.1 218.7 219.2 4.0 2.6 2.2 3.2 3.3 2.7 Hospital and related services ............ 281.5 282.8 282.6 284.0 3.2 2.0 3.6 3.6 2.6 3.6 Recreation (2).............................. - 100.0 100.3 100.6 - - - - - - Video and audio (1) (2).................... 100.3 100.0 100.6 101.2 -0.4 4.5 1.2 3.6 2.0 2.4 Education and communication (2)............. - 100.0 100.0 99.9 - - - - - - Education (2).............................. - 100.0 100.4 100.7 - - - - - - Educational books and supplies ........... 242.8 243.8 243.2 244.9 6.0 7.1 3.2 3.5 6.5 3.3 Tuition, other school fees, and childcare 285.6 286.8 288.1 289.0 5.5 5.6 4.5 4.8 5.5 4.7 Communication (1) (2)...................... 100.1 100.0 99.6 99.2 0.4 -3.1 1.2 -3.5 -1.4 -1.2 Information and information processing (1) (2)................................... 100.1 100.0 99.6 99.1 0.0 -3.1 1.2 -3.9 -1.6 -1.4 Telephone services (1) (2)............... - 100.0 99.9 100.0 - - - - - - Information and information processing other than telephone services (1) (4) 47.6 47.4 46.2 44.3 -16.9 -19.0 -4.9 -25.0 -17.9 -15.5 Personal computers and peripheral equipment (1) (2)................... - 100.0 96.9 91.3 - - - - - - Other goods and services ................... 229.9 230.8 231.8 233.7 5.7 4.3 5.6 6.8 5.0 6.2 Tobacco and smoking products .............. 250.3 252.1 253.8 261.2 8.2 2.8 10.9 18.6 5.5 14.7 Personal care (1).......................... 154.3 154.0 154.6 155.0 2.9 -0.3 4.8 1.8 1.3 3.3 Personal care products (1)................ 146.1 145.3 146.1 146.7 2.3 -1.7 7.4 1.7 0.3 4.5 Personal care services (1)................ 163.5 163.9 164.3 164.3 4.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.0 Miscellaneous personal services .......... 230.1 231.2 231.6 231.6 5.3 7.5 2.8 2.6 6.4 2.7 Commodity and service group Commodities ................................. 142.3 142.1 141.9 141.8 -0.8 0.9 1.1 -1.4 0.0 -0.1 Food and beverages ......................... 159.2 159.3 159.7 159.7 1.0 3.1 2.0 1.3 2.1 1.6 Commodities less food and beverages ........ 132.0 131.8 131.3 131.0 -2.4 -0.3 0.0 -3.0 -1.3 -1.5 Nondurables less food and beverages ....... 134.8 134.6 133.1 133.0 -4.4 1.5 0.9 -5.2 -1.5 -2.2 Apparel .................................. 133.0 133.2 132.5 132.7 2.4 -2.1 1.2 -0.9 0.2 0.2 Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .............................. 140.7 140.2 138.5 137.7 -6.1 4.1 -0.3 -8.3 -1.1 -4.4 Durables .................................. 127.9 127.7 128.0 127.8 -0.9 -2.8 -1.2 -0.3 -1.8 -0.8 Services .................................... 181.4 181.7 181.9 182.3 2.7 2.7 3.1 2.0 2.7 2.6 Rent of shelter (3)......................... 185.6 186.3 186.6 187.1 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.1 3.3 Transportation services .................... 185.7 185.9 187.1 187.8 4.7 0.7 1.1 4.6 2.6 2.8 Other services ............................. 212.7 213.5 214.0 214.4 4.3 4.1 2.5 3.2 4.2 2.9 Special indexes All items less food ......................... 162.2 162.3 162.2 162.3 1.3 1.8 2.3 0.2 1.5 1.2 All items less shelter ...................... 156.9 156.8 156.7 156.6 0.3 1.8 1.8 -0.8 1.0 0.5 All items less medical care ................. 157.4 157.4 157.4 157.5 0.8 2.1 2.3 0.3 1.4 1.3 Commodities less food ....................... 133.5 133.3 132.8 132.6 -2.1 -0.3 0.3 -2.7 -1.2 -1.2 Nondurables less food ....................... 136.5 136.3 135.1 135.0 -4.0 1.5 0.9 -4.3 -1.3 -1.8 Nondurables less food and apparel ........... 142.1 141.7 140.2 139.4 -5.0 3.7 0.0 -7.4 -0.7 -3.8 Nondurables ................................. 147.2 147.1 146.8 146.5 -2.2 2.5 1.9 -1.9 0.1 0.0 Services less rent of shelter (3)............ 190.0 190.0 189.9 189.9 2.4 1.9 3.7 -0.2 2.2 1.7 Services less medical care services ......... 175.8 176.1 176.3 176.5 2.8 2.6 3.5 1.6 2.7 2.5 Energy ...................................... 111.3 109.3 106.7 104.3 -16.1 4.5 2.9 -22.9 -6.4 -10.9 All items less energy ....................... 168.6 168.9 169.2 169.6 2.4 1.9 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.3 All items less food and energy ............. 171.0 171.4 171.7 172.2 2.6 1.7 2.1 2.8 2.2 2.5 Commodities less food and energy commodities ........................... 142.5 142.5 142.6 142.9 1.1 -1.4 1.1 1.1 -0.1 1.1 Energy commodities ....................... 104.3 102.8 99.2 95.9 -22.5 7.5 -4.1 -28.5 -8.7 -17.2 Services less energy services ............. 187.0 187.6 188.0 188.6 3.3 2.8 2.8 3.5 3.1 3.1 1 Not seasonally adjusted. 2 Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 3 Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. 4 Indexes on a December 1988=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 3. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Selected areas, all items index (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) All items Prici- Indexes Percent change to Percent change to CPI-U ng Feb.1998 from-- Jan.1998 from-- sched- ule Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. (1) 1997 1997 1998 1998 Feb. Dec. Jan. Jan. Nov. Dec. 1997 1997 1998 1997 1997 1997 U.S. city average ........................... M 161.5 161.3 161.6 161.9 1.4 0.4 0.2 1.6 0.1 0.2 Region and area size(2) Northeast urban ............................. M 168.5 168.4 168.8 169.1 1.3 0.4 0.2 1.6 0.2 0.2 Size A - More than 1,500,000 ............. M 169.3 169.1 169.5 170.1 1.4 0.6 0.4 1.6 0.1 0.2 Size B/C 50,000 to 1,500,000 (3).......... M 101.3 101.3 101.6 101.4 1.2 0.1 -0.2 1.6 0.3 0.3 Midwest urban (4)............................ M 157.7 157.3 157.6 158.0 1.3 0.4 0.3 1.4 -0.1 0.2 Size A - More than 1,500,000 ............ M 158.4 158.1 158.5 158.9 1.5 0.5 0.3 1.6 0.1 0.3 Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 (3)......... M 101.3 101.0 101.2 101.6 1.4 0.6 0.4 1.2 -0.1 0.2 Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ............................... M 153.7 153.0 152.9 152.7 0.4 -0.2 -0.1 0.5 -0.5 -0.1 South urban ................................. M 157.8 157.3 157.6 157.8 1.1 0.3 0.1 1.2 -0.1 0.2 Size A - More than 1,500,000 ............. M 156.4 156.3 156.6 156.7 1.0 0.3 0.1 1.1 0.1 0.2 Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 (3)........ M 101.9 101.3 101.5 101.6 1.0 0.3 0.1 1.2 -0.4 0.2 Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ............................... M 157.1 157.0 157.5 157.9 1.5 0.6 0.3 1.7 0.3 0.3 West urban .................................. M 162.8 162.8 163.0 163.2 1.9 0.2 0.1 2.1 0.1 0.1 Size A - More than 1,500,000 ............ M 162.8 163.1 163.3 163.6 2.2 0.3 0.2 2.3 0.3 0.1 Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 (3)......... M 102.4 102.0 102.3 102.3 1.5 0.3 0.0 1.9 -0.1 0.3 Size classes A (5)...................................... M 145.8 145.7 146.0 146.4 1.6 0.5 0.3 1.7 0.1 0.2 B/C (3).................................... M 101.7 101.4 101.6 101.7 1.2 0.3 0.1 1.4 -0.1 0.2 D ......................................... M 157.8 157.5 157.7 157.8 1.0 0.2 0.1 1.2 -0.1 0.1 Selected local areas(6) Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI .............. M 162.9 162.8 162.8 163.1 1.2 0.2 0.2 1.5 -0.1 0.0 Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA ..... M 160.7 161.2 161.0 161.1 1.2 -0.1 0.1 1.2 0.2 -0.1 New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA ............................. M 172.0 171.9 172.1 172.7 1.5 0.5 0.3 1.8 0.1 0.1 Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH-ME-CT ......... 1 169.4 - 171.2 - - - - 2.1 1.1 - Cleveland-Akron, OH ......................... 1 157.1 - 158.2 - - - - 2.9 0.7 - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ....................... 1 - 152.5 152.1 - - - - - - -0.3 Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV (7)........ 1 100.5 - 101.0 - - - - 0.6 0.5 - Atlanta, GA ................................. 2 - 159.4 - 159.5 - 0.1 - - - - Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI ................. 2 - 157.1 - 158.5 2.0 0.9 - - - - Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX .............. 2 - 145.6 - 146.1 1.1 0.3 - - - - Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ................... 2 159.5 159.3 - 160.2 - 0.6 - - - - Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD ............................. 2 166.4 166.4 - 167.0 0.7 0.4 - - - - San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA .......... 2 162.6 162.6 - 163.2 3.4 0.4 - - - - Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA ................ 2 - 165.0 - 166.5 - 0.9 - - - - 1 Areas on pricing schedule 2 (see Table 10) will appear next month. 2 Regions defined as the four Census regions. See map in technical notes. 3 Indexes on a December 1996=100 base. 4 The 'North Central' region has been renamed the 'Midwest' region by the Census Bureau. It is composed of the same geographic entities. 5 Indexes on a December 1986=100 base. 6 In addition, the following metropolitan areas are published semiannually and appear in Tables 34 and 39 of the January and July issues of the CPI Detailed Report: Anchorage, AK; Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN; Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO; Honolulu, HI; Kansas City, MO-KS; Milwaukee-Racine, WI; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland-Salem, OR-WA; St. Louis, MO-IL; San Diego, CA; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. 7 Indexes on a November 1996=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 4. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Unadjusted Relative Unadjusted indexes percent change to Seasonally adjusted importance, Feb. 1998 from- percent change from- CPI-W December 1997 Jan. Feb. 1998 1998 Feb. Jan. Nov. to Dec. to Jan. to 1997 1998 Dec. Jan. Feb. Expenditure category All items ................................... 100.000 158.4 158.5 1.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 All items (1967=100) ........................ - 471.9 472.2 - - - - - Food and beverages ......................... 17.903 159.6 159.2 1.8 -0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 Food ...................................... 16.861 159.3 158.8 1.8 -0.3 -0.1 0.4 -0.1 Food at home ............................. 10.785 159.9 158.9 1.3 -0.6 -0.2 0.4 -0.1 Cereals and bakery products ............. 1.678 178.8 179.4 1.7 0.3 0.2 -0.2 0.3 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .......... 3.125 148.0 147.2 -0.8 -0.5 -0.5 -0.3 -0.1 Dairy and related products (1)........... 1.135 147.9 147.4 1.0 -0.3 0.5 0.3 -0.3 Fruits and vegetables ................... 1.447 200.9 192.4 3.4 -4.2 -0.7 3.6 -1.1 Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials ........................... 1.215 132.9 133.6 4.4 0.5 -0.8 -0.2 0.1 Other food at home ...................... 2.185 148.1 148.5 2.4 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 Sugar and sweets ....................... .420 150.2 149.5 1.6 -0.5 0.5 0.5 -0.5 Fats and oils .......................... .332 140.4 141.4 -0.6 0.7 0.1 -0.9 0.6 Other foods ............................ 1.432 163.6 164.1 2.3 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.1 Other miscellaneous foods (1) (2)...... .344 100.5 100.5 - 0.0 - 0.5 0.0 Food away from home (1)................... 6.076 159.3 159.6 2.5 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 Other food away from home (1) (2)........ .212 100.1 100.3 - 0.2 - 0.1 0.2 Alcoholic beverages ...................... 1.042 163.6 163.9 1.7 0.2 0.2 0.2 -0.1 Housing .................................... 36.450 154.8 155.1 1.8 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 Shelter ................................... 27.033 173.9 174.6 3.1 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 Rent of primary residence ................ 8.347 169.2 169.6 3.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 Lodging away from home (2)................ 1.346 104.8 108.6 - 3.6 - 0.1 0.0 Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (3)......................... 17.016 168.7 169.1 3.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.4 Tenants' and household insurance (1) (2).. .324 100.4 100.2 - -0.2 - 0.4 -0.2 Fuels and utilities ....................... 5.053 128.6 127.1 -2.8 -1.2 -1.1 -1.2 -0.9 Fuels .................................... 4.143 113.9 112.2 -5.3 -1.5 -2.1 -1.6 -1.2 Fuel oil and other fuels ................ .229 96.2 95.1 -13.1 -1.1 -0.4 -2.1 -2.2 Gas (piped) and electricity ............. 3.914 121.0 119.2 -4.5 -1.5 -2.3 -1.5 -1.2 Household furnishings and operations ...... 4.365 124.1 124.7 0.8 0.5 0.0 0.2 0.4 Apparel .................................... 5.300 128.7 130.4 -0.5 1.3 0.0 -0.5 -0.2 Men's and boys' apparel ................... 1.503 129.4 130.1 2.3 0.5 0.4 0.2 -0.2 Women's and girls' apparel ................ 1.985 118.5 122.3 -2.0 3.2 -0.6 -0.9 0.3 Infants' and toddlers' apparel (1)......... .337 125.3 123.1 -3.9 -1.8 -0.5 -0.9 -1.8 Footwear .................................. 1.082 128.4 127.4 0.2 -0.8 0.7 -0.5 -1.5 Transportation ............................. 19.847 141.7 140.9 -2.4 -0.6 -0.3 -0.5 -0.4 Private transportation .................... 18.790 139.3 138.4 -2.8 -0.6 -0.3 -0.6 -0.6 New and used motor vehicles (2)........... 9.285 100.1 100.2 -1.7 0.1 - 0.1 0.0 New vehicles ............................ 5.304 145.6 145.5 -0.8 -0.1 -0.2 0.1 -0.1 Used cars and trucks (1)................. 3.162 149.7 149.9 -3.7 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 Motor fuel ............................... 3.682 97.6 94.1 -13.0 -3.6 -1.5 -3.6 -3.1 Gasoline (all types) .................... 3.658 97.1 93.6 -12.9 -3.6 -1.6 -3.6 -3.2 Motor vehicle parts and equipment ........ .694 100.7 100.9 -0.7 0.2 -0.1 -0.1 0.1 Motor vehicle maintenance and repair ..... 1.664 166.0 166.5 2.7 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.3 Public transportation ..................... 1.057 184.7 187.9 4.2 1.7 0.0 0.9 1.2 Medical care ............................... 4.591 237.4 238.7 2.8 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.2 Medical care commodities .................. .906 214.7 215.4 1.9 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.0 Medical care services ..................... 3.684 242.5 244.0 3.0 0.6 0.4 0.1 0.3 Professional services .................... 2.372 219.8 221.0 3.1 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.4 Hospital and related services ............ 1.097 279.6 281.4 3.2 0.6 0.4 0.0 0.5 Recreation (2).............................. 5.969 100.3 100.7 1.5 0.4 - 0.3 0.3 Video and audio (1) (2).................... 1.968 100.5 101.2 2.4 0.7 -0.3 0.5 0.7 Education and communication (2)............. 5.396 100.0 99.8 2.4 -0.2 - -0.1 0.0 Education (2).............................. 2.402 100.3 100.4 5.1 0.1 - 0.3 0.4 Educational books and supplies ........... .192 247.5 249.4 5.3 0.8 0.4 -0.3 0.9 Tuition, other school fees, and childcare 2.211 283.5 283.5 5.2 0.0 0.5 0.3 0.4 Communication (1) (2)...................... 2.994 99.7 99.3 -1.0 -0.4 -0.1 -0.3 -0.4 Information and information processing (1) (2)................................... 2.841 99.6 99.3 -1.1 -0.3 -0.1 -0.4 -0.3 Telephone services (1) (2)............... 2.547 99.9 100.0 - 0.1 - -0.1 0.1 Information and information processing other than telephone services (1) (4) .294 47.7 45.8 -15.2 -4.0 -0.8 -2.5 -4.0 Personal computers and peripheral equipment (1) (2)................... .191 96.6 91.1 - -5.7 - -3.4 -5.7 Other goods and services ................... 4.544 228.2 230.6 6.1 1.1 0.4 0.5 1.1 Tobacco and smoking products .............. 1.300 253.6 261.1 10.2 3.0 0.7 0.8 3.0 Personal care (1).......................... 3.244 154.5 155.0 2.4 0.3 -0.3 0.4 0.3 Personal care products (1)................ .832 147.0 147.6 2.4 0.4 -0.7 0.6 0.4 Personal care services (1)................ .964 164.5 164.5 2.3 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 Miscellaneous personal services .......... 1.226 229.8 231.1 4.3 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.0 Commodity and service group Commodities ................................. 47.234 141.4 141.3 -0.4 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 Food and beverages ......................... 17.903 159.6 159.2 1.8 -0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 Commodities less food and beverages ........ 29.331 130.5 130.5 -1.8 0.0 -0.2 -0.4 -0.2 Nondurables less food and beverages ....... 15.928 131.5 131.5 -2.2 0.0 -0.3 -1.0 -0.2 Apparel .................................. 5.300 128.7 130.4 -0.5 1.3 0.0 -0.5 -0.2 Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .............................. 10.628 137.6 136.7 -2.9 -0.7 -0.4 -1.4 -0.4 Durables .................................. 13.403 127.7 127.7 -1.4 0.0 0.0 0.2 -0.1 Services .................................... 52.766 178.7 179.1 2.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 Rent of shelter (3)......................... 26.708 167.4 168.1 3.1 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 Transportation services .................... 6.824 184.9 185.3 2.2 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.3 Other services ............................. 10.006 210.5 211.2 3.8 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 Special indexes All items less food ......................... 83.139 158.1 158.4 1.0 0.2 0.0 -0.1 0.0 All items less shelter ...................... 72.967 154.2 154.1 0.4 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 All items less medical care ................. 95.409 154.7 154.8 1.0 0.1 0.0 -0.1 0.1 Commodities less food ....................... 30.373 131.8 131.8 -1.6 0.0 -0.1 -0.5 -0.2 Nondurables less food ....................... 16.970 133.5 133.5 -1.8 0.0 -0.2 -1.0 -0.3 Nondurables less food and apparel ........... 11.670 139.2 138.3 -2.5 -0.6 -0.4 -1.5 -0.4 Nondurables ................................. 33.831 145.9 145.6 -0.1 -0.2 -0.1 -0.1 -0.4 Services less rent of shelter (3)............ 26.057 169.1 169.2 1.8 0.1 0.0 -0.1 -0.1 Services less medical care services ......... 49.082 173.2 173.6 2.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 Energy ...................................... 7.825 105.0 102.4 -9.1 -2.5 -1.9 -2.5 -2.1 All items less energy ....................... 92.175 165.8 166.3 2.0 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 All items less food and energy ............. 75.315 167.5 168.2 2.1 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 Commodities less food and energy commodities ........................... 26.463 141.5 142.1 0.3 0.4 0.0 0.1 0.2 Energy commodities ....................... 3.910 97.7 94.3 -13.2 -3.5 -1.4 -3.5 -3.0 Services less energy services ............. 48.852 185.1 185.8 3.0 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 Purchasing power of the consumer dollar ..... - $ .631 $ .631 - - - - - Purchasing power of the consumer dollar - old base .................................... - $ .212 $ .212 - - - - - 1 Not seasonally adjusted. 2 Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 3 Indexes on a December 1984=100 base 4 Indexes on a December 1988=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 5. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Seasonally adjusted U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Seasonally adjusted indexes Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent change for CPI-W 3 months ended-- 6 months ended-- Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 1997 1997 1998 1998 May Aug. Nov. Feb. Aug. Feb. 1997 1997 1997 1998 1997 1998 Expenditure category All items ................................... 158.6 158.7 158.7 158.7 0.8 2.1 1.8 0.3 1.4 1.0 Food and beverages ......................... 158.7 158.7 159.2 159.2 1.0 3.1 1.8 1.3 2.1 1.5 Food ...................................... 158.3 158.2 158.8 158.7 0.8 3.1 2.0 1.0 1.9 1.5 Food at home ............................. 158.6 158.3 158.9 158.7 0.3 3.4 1.3 0.3 1.8 0.8 Cereals and bakery products ............. 178.5 178.9 178.6 179.1 1.6 1.8 2.0 1.4 1.7 1.7 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs .......... 148.2 147.4 147.0 146.8 0.5 1.4 -1.9 -3.7 0.9 -2.8 Dairy and related products (1)........... 146.8 147.5 147.9 147.4 -2.4 -5.7 11.1 1.6 -4.1 6.2 Fruits and vegetables ................... 191.1 189.7 196.5 194.4 -5.2 12.5 2.1 7.1 3.2 4.6 Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials ........................... 134.0 132.9 132.7 132.8 16.0 10.7 -4.1 -3.5 13.3 -3.8 Other food at home ...................... 147.8 147.9 148.1 148.2 5.1 4.7 -0.3 1.1 4.9 0.4 Sugar and sweets ....................... 148.5 149.2 149.9 149.2 1.6 1.1 1.9 1.9 1.4 1.9 Fats and oils .......................... 141.1 141.3 140.0 140.8 -0.3 -0.6 -0.8 -0.8 -0.4 -0.8 Other foods ............................ 162.3 163.1 163.6 163.8 0.3 3.0 2.2 3.7 1.6 3.0 Other miscellaneous foods (1) (2)...... - 100.0 100.5 100.5 - - - - - - Food away from home (1)................... 158.6 159.0 159.3 159.6 1.3 3.1 3.1 2.5 2.2 2.8 Other food away from home (1) (2)........ - 100.0 100.1 100.3 - - - - - - Alcoholic beverages ...................... 163.2 163.6 164.0 163.8 2.0 2.5 1.2 1.5 2.2 1.4 Housing .................................... 154.8 154.8 154.8 155.0 1.3 2.1 3.4 0.5 1.7 2.0 Shelter ................................... 172.9 173.5 174.0 174.4 3.1 3.1 2.8 3.5 3.1 3.2 Rent of primary residence ................ 168.3 168.7 169.2 169.4 3.5 3.2 3.2 2.6 3.3 2.9 Lodging away from home (2)................ - 100.0 100.1 100.1 - - - - - - Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (3)......................... 167.6 168.1 168.5 169.1 3.0 3.2 2.7 3.6 3.1 3.1 Tenants' and household insurance (1) (2).. - 100.0 100.4 100.2 - - - - - - Fuels and utilities ....................... 131.8 130.4 128.8 127.6 -5.4 1.6 6.6 -12.2 -2.0 -3.2 Fuels .................................... 117.8 115.3 113.5 112.1 -11.0 0.0 10.1 -18.0 -5.7 -5.0 Fuel oil and other fuels ................ 96.3 95.9 93.9 91.8 -19.9 -13.3 -0.4 -17.4 -16.7 -9.3 Gas (piped) and electricity ............. 125.9 123.0 121.1 119.7 -10.1 1.3 11.6 -18.3 -4.6 -4.5 Household furnishings and operations ...... 123.9 123.9 124.2 124.7 1.6 -1.3 0.6 2.6 0.2 1.6 Apparel .................................... 132.0 132.0 131.3 131.1 2.8 -2.1 0.6 -2.7 0.3 -1.1 Men's and boys' apparel ................... 130.7 131.2 131.4 131.1 4.8 1.9 0.9 1.2 3.3 1.1 Women's and girls' apparel ................ 124.8 124.1 123.0 123.4 1.6 -5.3 1.6 -4.4 -1.9 -1.4 Infants' and toddlers' apparel (1)......... 127.1 126.5 125.3 123.1 23.0 -17.9 -4.0 -12.0 0.5 -8.1 Footwear .................................. 129.6 130.5 129.9 128.0 1.3 2.2 2.2 -4.8 1.7 -1.4 Transportation ............................. 143.0 142.6 141.9 141.3 -4.3 1.1 -1.7 -4.7 -1.7 -3.2 Private transportation .................... 140.7 140.3 139.5 138.7 -5.2 1.4 -2.0 -5.6 -2.0 -3.8 New and used motor vehicles (2)........... - 100.0 100.1 100.1 - - - - - - New vehicles ............................ 144.9 144.6 144.7 144.6 -0.3 -0.5 -1.6 -0.8 -0.4 -1.2 Used cars and trucks (1)................. 149.2 149.5 149.7 149.9 -1.0 -13.2 -1.9 1.9 -7.3 0.0 Motor fuel ............................... 104.8 103.2 99.5 96.4 -23.5 11.2 -6.2 -28.4 -7.8 -18.1 Gasoline (all types) .................... 104.6 102.9 99.2 96.0 -24.2 13.0 -5.9 -29.0 -7.5 -18.3 Motor vehicle parts and equipment ........ 100.7 100.6 100.5 100.6 -2.0 1.2 -1.6 -0.4 -0.4 -1.0 Motor vehicle maintenance and repair ..... 165.0 165.8 166.0 166.5 2.7 2.7 1.7 3.7 2.7 2.7 Public transportation ..................... 184.1 184.1 185.8 188.1 9.9 -3.2 1.8 9.0 3.1 5.3 Medical care ............................... 236.3 237.2 237.6 238.1 3.3 2.1 2.8 3.1 2.7 2.9 Medical care commodities .................. 213.7 214.6 215.0 214.9 3.3 -0.4 2.3 2.3 1.4 2.3 Medical care services ..................... 241.2 242.2 242.5 243.2 3.4 2.4 2.9 3.4 2.9 3.1 Professional services .................... 219.0 219.6 220.0 220.8 4.0 2.8 2.6 3.3 3.4 3.0 Hospital and related services ............ 277.7 278.9 278.8 280.3 3.1 2.2 3.5 3.8 2.7 3.7 Recreation (2).............................. - 100.0 100.3 100.6 - - - - - - Video and audio (1) (2).................... 100.3 100.0 100.5 101.2 0.4 4.5 1.2 3.6 2.4 2.4 Education and communication (2)............. - 100.0 99.9 99.9 - - - - - - Education (2).............................. - 100.0 100.3 100.7 - - - - - - Educational books and supplies ........... 245.1 246.1 245.3 247.4 6.3 7.4 3.7 3.8 6.8 3.7 Tuition, other school fees, and childcare 279.9 281.2 282.1 283.2 5.6 5.1 5.3 4.8 5.3 5.1 Communication (1) (2)...................... 100.1 100.0 99.7 99.3 0.8 -3.1 1.6 -3.2 -1.2 -0.8 Information and information processing (1) (2)................................... 100.1 100.0 99.6 99.3 0.4 -3.1 1.6 -3.2 -1.4 -0.8 Telephone services (1) (2)............... - 100.0 99.9 100.0 - - - - - - Information and information processing other than telephone services (1) (4) 49.3 48.9 47.7 45.8 -15.3 -18.0 0.0 -25.5 -16.6 -13.7 Personal computers and peripheral equipment (1) (2)................... - 100.0 96.6 91.1 - - - - - - Other goods and services ................... 226.4 227.4 228.5 230.9 5.8 3.7 6.6 8.2 4.7 7.4 Tobacco and smoking products .............. 249.9 251.6 253.6 261.1 8.2 3.0 10.8 19.2 5.6 14.9 Personal care (1).......................... 154.3 153.9 154.5 155.0 3.2 -0.5 5.1 1.8 1.3 3.4 Personal care products (1)................ 147.1 146.1 147.0 147.6 2.2 -1.6 7.7 1.4 0.3 4.5 Personal care services (1)................ 163.7 164.1 164.5 164.5 4.0 1.0 2.2 2.0 2.5 2.1 Miscellaneous personal services .......... 228.8 230.0 230.5 230.6 5.4 5.7 3.0 3.2 5.5 3.1 Commodity and service group Commodities ................................. 142.1 142.0 141.8 141.6 -1.1 0.9 0.6 -1.4 -0.1 -0.4 Food and beverages ......................... 158.7 158.7 159.2 159.2 1.0 3.1 1.8 1.3 2.1 1.5 Commodities less food and beverages ........ 132.0 131.7 131.2 130.9 -2.7 -0.3 -0.3 -3.3 -1.5 -1.8 Nondurables less food and beverages ....... 134.6 134.2 132.9 132.6 -4.6 1.5 0.6 -5.8 -1.6 -2.7 Apparel .................................. 132.0 132.0 131.3 131.1 2.8 -2.1 0.6 -2.7 0.3 -1.1 Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .............................. 140.6 140.1 138.1 137.5 -6.9 4.4 -0.3 -8.5 -1.4 -4.5 Durables .................................. 127.3 127.3 127.5 127.4 -0.9 -3.4 -1.9 0.3 -2.2 -0.8 Services .................................... 178.4 178.6 178.8 179.1 2.5 2.8 3.2 1.6 2.7 2.4 Rent of shelter (3)......................... 166.6 167.2 167.6 167.9 3.2 3.2 2.9 3.2 3.2 3.0 Transportation services .................... 183.5 183.8 184.7 185.2 3.6 1.5 0.9 3.8 2.6 2.3 Other services ............................. 209.5 210.2 210.7 211.2 4.4 3.7 2.9 3.3 4.1 3.1 Special indexes All items less food ......................... 158.4 158.4 158.3 158.3 0.5 1.8 2.0 -0.3 1.2 0.9 All items less shelter ...................... 154.8 154.6 154.5 154.4 -0.3 1.6 1.8 -1.0 0.7 0.4 All items less medical care ................. 154.9 154.9 154.8 154.9 0.5 1.8 2.1 0.0 1.2 1.0 Commodities less food ....................... 133.5 133.3 132.7 132.4 -2.6 -0.3 0.0 -3.3 -1.5 -1.6 Nondurables less food ....................... 136.3 136.0 134.7 134.3 -3.7 1.5 0.6 -5.7 -1.2 -2.6 Nondurables less food and apparel ........... 142.3 141.8 139.7 139.2 -6.3 4.3 1.4 -8.4 -1.1 -3.6 Nondurables ................................. 146.8 146.7 146.5 145.9 -1.4 2.8 0.8 -2.4 0.7 -0.8 Services less rent of shelter (3)............ 169.3 169.3 169.1 169.0 1.9 2.4 3.4 -0.7 2.2 1.3 Services less medical care services ......... 173.0 173.2 173.4 173.4 2.4 2.6 3.3 0.9 2.5 2.1 Energy ...................................... 110.8 108.7 106.0 103.8 -17.3 5.2 2.2 -23.0 -6.7 -11.3 All items less energy ....................... 165.4 165.7 166.0 166.3 2.5 1.7 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.1 All items less food and energy ............. 167.4 167.7 168.0 168.4 2.7 1.2 2.2 2.4 1.9 2.3 Commodities less food and energy commodities ........................... 142.0 142.0 142.1 142.4 1.4 -1.7 0.8 1.1 -0.1 1.0 Energy commodities ....................... 104.3 102.8 99.2 96.2 -23.3 8.8 -5.6 -27.6 -8.7 -17.3 Services less energy services ............. 184.4 184.9 185.4 185.9 3.4 2.9 2.6 3.3 3.1 3.0 1 Not seasonally adjusted. 2 Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. 3 Indexes on a December 1984=100 base 4 Indexes on a December 1988=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 6. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Selected areas, all items index (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) All items Prici- Indexes Percent change to Percent change to CPI-W ng Feb.1998 from-- Jan.1998 from-- sched- ule Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. (1) 1997 1997 1998 1998 Feb. Dec. Jan. Jan. Nov. Dec. 1997 1997 1998 1997 1997 1997 U.S. city average ........................... M 158.5 158.2 158.4 158.5 1.1 0.2 0.1 1.3 -0.1 0.1 Region and area size(2) Northeast urban ............................. M 165.7 165.5 165.7 165.9 1.0 0.2 0.1 1.3 0.0 0.1 Size A - More than 1,500,000 ............. M 165.5 165.2 165.4 165.8 1.2 0.4 0.2 1.4 -0.1 0.1 Size B/C 50,000 to 1,500,000 (3).......... M 101.1 101.1 101.3 101.1 1.0 0.0 -0.2 1.3 0.2 0.2 Midwest urban (4)............................ M 154.0 153.7 153.9 154.2 1.2 0.3 0.2 1.2 -0.1 0.1 Size A - More than 1,500,000 ............ M 153.8 153.6 153.9 154.2 1.2 0.4 0.2 1.3 0.1 0.2 Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 (3)......... M 101.2 101.0 101.1 101.4 1.3 0.4 0.3 1.1 -0.1 0.1 Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ............................... M 151.6 151.0 150.9 150.8 0.3 -0.1 -0.1 0.3 -0.5 -0.1 South urban ................................. M 156.2 155.6 155.8 155.7 0.8 0.1 -0.1 1.0 -0.3 0.1 Size A - More than 1,500,000 ............. M 154.5 154.2 154.4 154.3 0.7 0.1 -0.1 0.8 -0.1 0.1 Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 (3)........ M 101.7 101.1 101.2 101.1 0.6 0.0 -0.1 1.0 -0.5 0.1 Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ............................... M 157.5 157.5 157.6 158.0 1.4 0.3 0.3 1.5 0.1 0.1 West urban .................................. M 159.2 159.2 159.4 159.4 1.7 0.1 0.0 2.0 0.1 0.1 Size A - More than 1,500,000 ............ M 157.7 157.9 158.0 158.0 1.8 0.1 0.0 2.1 0.2 0.1 Size B/C - 50,000 to 1,500,000 (3)......... M 102.3 101.9 102.2 102.2 1.3 0.3 0.0 1.7 -0.1 0.3 Size classes A (5)...................................... M 144.6 144.4 144.6 144.8 1.3 0.3 0.1 1.5 0.0 0.1 B/C (3).................................... M 101.5 101.2 101.3 101.3 0.9 0.1 0.0 1.2 -0.2 0.1 D ......................................... M 156.9 156.7 156.7 156.8 0.9 0.1 0.1 0.9 -0.1 0.0 Selected local areas(6) Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI .............. M 157.2 157.3 157.3 157.4 1.0 0.1 0.1 1.3 0.1 0.0 Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA ..... M 154.9 155.3 155.1 155.0 0.9 -0.2 -0.1 1.0 0.1 -0.1 New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA ............................. M 168.0 167.7 167.7 168.2 1.2 0.3 0.3 1.6 -0.2 0.0 Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH-ME-CT ......... 1 167.8 - 169.3 - - - - 1.6 0.9 - Cleveland-Akron, OH ......................... 1 149.1 - 150.0 - - - - 2.6 0.6 - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ....................... 1 - 152.7 152.2 - - - - - - -0.3 Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV (7)........ 1 100.4 - 100.8 - - - - 0.4 0.4 - Atlanta, GA ................................. 2 - 156.8 - 156.6 - -0.1 - - - - Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI ................. 2 - 151.7 - 152.9 1.7 0.8 - - - - Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX .............. 2 - 144.5 - 144.7 0.8 0.1 - - - - Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ................... 2 157.0 156.8 - 157.3 - 0.3 - - - - Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD ............................. 2 165.9 165.7 - 166.1 0.7 0.2 - - - - San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA .......... 2 159.5 159.4 - 159.6 3.0 0.1 - - - - Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA ................ 2 - 160.6 - 162.2 - 1.0 - - - - 1 Areas on pricing schedule 2 (see Table 10) will appear next month. 2 Regions defined as the four Census regions. See map in technical notes. 3 Indexes on a December 1996=100 base. 4 The 'North Central' region has been renamed the 'Midwest' region by the Census Bureau. It is composed of the same geographic entities. 5 Indexes on a December 1986=100 base. 6 In addition, the following metropolitan areas are published semiannually and appear in Tables 34 and 39 of the January and July issues of the CPI Detailed Report: Anchorage, AK; Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN; Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO; Honolulu, HI; Kansas City, MO-KS; Milwaukee-Racine, WI; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland-Salem, OR-WA; St. Louis, MO-IL; San Diego, CA; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. 7 Indexes on a November 1996=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 1(OS). Old Series Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Unadjusted Relative Unadjusted percent change importan- indexes to Item and group ce, Feb. 1998 from- December 1997 Jan. Feb. 1998 1998 Feb. Jan. 1997 1998 Expenditure category All items ................................... 100.000 161.6 162.0 1.5 0.2 All items (1967=100) ........................ - 484.2 485.2 - - Food and beverages ........................ 17.465 160.3 159.8 1.8 -.3 Food .................................... 15.886 159.9 159.3 1.8 -.4 Food at home .......................... 9.964 161.1 159.9 1.4 -.7 Cereals and bakery products ......... 1.476 179.0 179.5 1.6 .3 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ...... 2.921 148.1 147.2 -1.1 -.6 Dairy products ...................... 1.218 148.1 147.9 1.2 -.1 Fruits and vegetables ............... 1.982 200.5 193.8 3.4 -3.3 Other food at home .................. 2.366 148.9 149.5 2.8 .4 Sugar and sweets .................. .332 150.3 149.5 1.6 -.5 Fats and oils ..................... .241 140.6 141.8 -.6 .9 Nonalcoholic beverages ............ .747 134.4 135.1 5.1 .5 Other prepared food ............... 1.046 163.7 164.4 2.4 .4 Food away from home ................... 5.923 159.2 159.6 2.6 .3 Alcoholic beverages ..................... 1.578 164.5 164.9 1.9 .2 Housing ................................... 41.469 158.2 158.8 1.9 .4 Shelter ................................. 28.640 179.1 180.1 3.2 .6 Renters' costs (1)..................... 8.169 188.9 191.5 3.3 1.4 Rent, residential ................... 5.810 169.5 169.9 3.1 .2 Other renters' costs ................ 2.359 225.9 235.2 3.9 4.1 Homeowners' costs (1).................. 20.269 184.7 185.1 3.1 .2 Owners' equivalent rent (1).......... 19.881 185.1 185.4 3.1 .2 Household insurance (1).............. .388 167.7 167.3 2.1 -.2 Maintenance and repairs ............... .202 146.0 146.0 2.6 .0 Maintenance and repair services ..... .126 154.4 154.7 4.2 .2 Maintenance and repair commodities .. .076 134.4 134.0 .1 -.3 Fuel and other utilities ................ 7.015 129.3 128.5 -1.9 -.6 Fuels ................................. 3.769 114.4 112.7 -5.5 -1.5 Fuel oil and other household fuel commodities ............................. .368 96.4 95.3 -13.0 -1.1 Gas (piped) and electricity (energy services)................................ 3.401 121.5 119.5 -4.6 -1.6 Other utilities and public services ... 3.246 163.4 164.1 2.4 .4 Household furnishings and operation ..... 5.814 125.3 125.9 .6 .5 Housefurnishings ...................... 3.232 109.8 110.1 -1.0 .3 Housekeeping supplies ................. 1.090 143.2 145.3 2.0 1.5 Housekeeping services ................. 1.492 154.0 154.3 2.9 .2 Apparel and upkeep ........................ 5.291 129.7 131.6 -.2 1.5 Apparel commodities ..................... 4.748 125.6 127.6 -.5 1.6 Men's and boys' apparel ............... 1.292 129.4 130.7 2.7 1.0 Women's and girls' apparel............. 2.072 119.6 123.0 -2.5 2.8 Infants' and toddlers' apparel ........ .182 124.4 122.8 -3.5 -1.3 Footwear .............................. .719 127.3 126.9 .5 -.3 Other apparel commodities ............. .484 144.3 146.4 -.3 1.5 Apparel services ........................ .543 164.3 164.8 1.6 .3 Transportation ............................ 16.620 142.7 142.1 -1.9 -.4 Private transportation .................. 15.054 139.3 138.3 -2.5 -.7 New vehicles .......................... 4.829 144.4 144.3 -.8 -.1 New cars ............................ 3.842 141.8 141.6 -.9 -.1 Used cars ............................. 1.195 148.1 148.3 -4.0 .1 Motor fuel ............................ 2.925 97.8 94.1 -13.0 -3.8 Gasoline ............................ - 97.2 93.5 -12.9 -3.8 Maintenance and repairs ............... 1.546 164.9 165.5 2.7 .4 Other private transportation .......... 4.560 180.0 179.6 1.4 -.2 Other private transportation commodities ............................. .574 104.2 104.3 -1.0 .1 Other private transportation services ......................................... 3.986 198.0 197.4 1.7 -.3 Public transportation ................... 1.566 187.0 191.1 4.8 2.2 Medical care .............................. 7.426 238.0 239.4 2.9 .6 Medical care commodities ................ 1.280 217.4 218.4 2.1 .5 Medical care services ................... 6.145 242.8 244.3 3.0 .6 Professional medical services ......... 3.518 218.4 219.7 3.0 .6 Entertainment ............................. 4.339 163.4 164.0 1.4 0.4 Entertainment commodities ............... 1.924 144.3 144.6 .2 .2 Entertainment services .................. 2.415 185.4 186.4 2.4 .5 Other goods and services .................. 7.390 231.2 233.2 5.7 .9 Tobacco and smoking products ............ 1.688 253.8 261.3 10.1 3.0 Personal care ........................... 1.152 154.7 155.0 2.3 .2 Toilet goods and personal care appliances .............................. .589 146.2 147.0 2.6 .5 Personal care services ................ .564 164.3 164.1 2.1 -.1 Personal and educational expenses ....... 4.550 267.0 267.6 4.9 .2 School books and supplies ............. .273 244.9 247.1 5.0 .9 Personal and educational services ..... 4.277 268.9 269.4 4.9 .2 Commodity and service group All items ................................... 100.000 161.6 162.0 1.5 .2 Commodities ............................... 42.255 141.7 141.6 -.1 -.1 Food and beverages ...................... 17.465 160.3 159.8 1.8 -.3 Commodities less food and beverages ..... 24.791 130.4 130.7 -1.4 .2 Nondurables less food and beverages ... 14.865 132.0 132.4 -1.6 .3 Apparel commodities ................. 4.748 125.6 127.6 -.5 1.6 Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel ................................. 10.117 138.2 138.0 -2.1 -.1 Durables .............................. 9.926 128.2 128.3 -1.2 .1 Services .................................. 57.745 181.8 182.4 2.6 .3 Rent of shelter (1)...................... 28.016 186.4 187.4 3.2 .5 Household services less rent of shelter (1)...................................... 8.687 145.2 144.6 -.3 -.4 Transportation services ................. 7.097 187.4 188.1 2.6 .4 Medical care services ................... 6.145 242.8 244.3 3.0 .6 Other services .......................... 7.799 213.7 214.2 3.6 .2 Special indexes All items less food ......................... 84.114 161.9 162.4 1.4 .3 All items less shelter ...................... 71.360 156.5 156.6 .8 .1 All items less homeowners' costs (1)......... 79.731 162.1 162.4 1.0 .2 All items less medical care ................. 92.574 157.3 157.6 1.4 .2 Commodities less food ....................... 26.369 131.8 132.1 -1.3 .2 Nondurables less food ....................... 16.443 134.0 134.5 -1.2 .4 Nondurables less food and apparel ........... 11.695 140.0 139.8 -1.6 -.1 Nondurables ................................. 32.329 146.3 146.3 .3 .0 Services less rent of shelter (1)............ 29.728 190.0 190.3 2.1 .2 Services less medical care services ......... 51.599 176.1 176.7 2.6 .3 Energy ...................................... 6.695 105.8 103.1 -8.8 -2.6 All items less energy ....................... 93.305 169.0 169.6 2.2 .4 All items less food and energy ............ 77.419 171.2 172.2 2.3 .6 Commodities less food and energy commodities ............................. 23.076 142.0 143.0 .6 .7 Energy commodities .................... 3.293 97.8 94.5 -13.0 -3.4 Services less energy services ........... 54.343 187.9 188.8 3.1 .5 Purchasing power of the consumer dollar: 1982-84=$1.00 ........................... - $ .619 $ .617 - - 1967=$1.00 .............................. - $ .207 $ .206 - - 1 Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 2(OS). Old Series Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Unadjusted Relative Unadjusted percent change importan- indexes to Item and group ce, Feb. 1998 from- December 1997 Jan. Feb. 1998 1998 Feb. Jan. 1997 1998 Expenditure category All items ................................... 100.000 158.4 158.7 1.2 0.2 All items (1967=100) ........................ - 472.0 472.6 - - Food and beverages ........................ 19.434 159.6 159.1 1.7 -.3 Food .................................... 17.739 159.3 158.7 1.7 -.4 Food at home .......................... 11.309 159.9 158.7 1.2 -.8 Cereals and bakery products ......... 1.689 178.7 179.2 1.6 .3 Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ...... 3.441 147.8 146.9 -1.0 -.6 Dairy products ...................... 1.358 147.8 147.6 1.1 -.1 Fruits and vegetables ............... 2.100 198.9 192.0 3.2 -3.5 Other food at home .................. 2.722 148.3 148.8 2.6 .3 Sugar and sweets .................. .376 150.2 149.4 1.5 -.5 Fats and oils ..................... .277 140.3 141.4 -.6 .8 Nonalcoholic beverages ............ .863 133.1 133.9 4.6 .6 Other prepared food ............... 1.206 163.5 164.2 2.4 .4 Food away from home ................... 6.430 159.2 159.6 2.5 .3 Alcoholic beverages ..................... 1.695 163.5 163.8 1.7 .2 Housing ................................... 39.037 154.8 155.2 1.8 .3 Shelter ................................. 26.305 173.9 174.7 3.1 .5 Renters' costs (1)..................... 8.250 164.7 166.3 3.4 1.0 Rent, residential ................... 6.686 169.2 169.6 3.2 .2 Other renters' costs ................ 1.564 225.2 234.2 4.1 4.0 Homeowners' costs (1).................. 17.864 168.4 168.7 3.1 .2 Owners' equivalent rent (1).......... 17.538 168.7 169.0 3.0 .2 Household insurance (1).............. .327 152.1 151.8 2.2 -.2 Maintenance and repairs ............... .191 143.7 143.8 2.2 .1 Maintenance and repair services ..... .107 155.3 155.8 3.7 .3 Maintenance and repair commodities .. .084 129.0 128.7 .3 -.2 Fuel and other utilities ................ 7.274 129.1 128.4 -1.8 -.5 Fuels ................................. 3.875 113.9 112.1 -5.4 -1.6 Fuel oil and other household fuel commodities ............................. .338 96.3 95.2 -13.0 -1.1 Gas (piped) and electricity (energy services)................................ 3.537 121.0 119.1 -4.6 -1.6 Other utilities and public services ... 3.399 164.3 165.1 2.6 .5 Household furnishings and operation ..... 5.458 123.7 124.5 .6 .6 Housefurnishings ...................... 3.171 108.5 108.9 -.8 .4 Housekeeping supplies ................. 1.130 144.0 146.1 2.1 1.5 Housekeeping services ................. 1.157 157.1 157.3 2.9 .1 Apparel and upkeep ........................ 5.311 128.5 130.1 -.8 1.2 Apparel commodities ..................... 4.801 124.6 126.4 -0.9 1.4 Men's and boys' apparel ............... 1.298 129.1 130.4 2.5 1.0 Women's and girls' apparel............. 2.019 117.8 121.1 -3.0 2.8 Infants' and toddlers' apparel ........ .233 125.0 123.3 -3.7 -1.4 Footwear .............................. .800 128.3 127.3 .1 -.8 Other apparel commodities ............. .450 141.1 143.4 -1.6 1.6 Apparel services ........................ .510 163.5 163.9 1.6 .2 Transportation ............................ 18.597 141.7 140.9 -2.4 -.6 Private transportation .................. 17.389 139.3 138.2 -2.9 -.8 New vehicles .......................... 4.781 145.6 145.5 -.8 -.1 New cars ............................ 3.439 141.3 141.2 -.9 -.1 Used cars ............................. 2.179 149.7 149.9 -3.7 .1 Motor fuel ............................ 3.608 97.6 94.0 -13.1 -3.7 Gasoline ............................ - 97.0 93.5 -13.0 -3.6 Maintenance and repairs ............... 1.634 166.0 166.5 2.7 .3 Other private transportation .......... 5.188 175.2 174.7 1.2 -.3 Other private transportation commodities ............................. .727 103.6 103.6 -.7 .0 Other private transportation services ......................................... 4.460 193.5 192.9 1.5 -.3 Public transportation ................... 1.208 184.6 188.2 4.4 2.0 Medical care .............................. 6.331 237.4 238.8 2.9 .6 Medical care commodities ................ 1.054 214.7 215.6 2.0 .4 Medical care services ................... 5.276 242.6 244.0 3.0 .6 Professional medical services ......... 3.020 219.8 221.1 3.2 .6 Entertainment ............................. 4.006 160.7 161.2 1.3 0.3 Entertainment commodities ............... 2.005 143.0 143.1 .0 .1 Entertainment services .................. 2.001 185.8 186.8 2.5 .5 Other goods and services .................. 7.285 228.2 230.8 6.2 1.1 Tobacco and smoking products ............ 2.237 253.6 261.3 10.3 3.0 Personal care ........................... 1.116 154.5 155.0 2.4 .3 Toilet goods and personal care appliances .............................. .612 146.9 147.8 2.5 .6 Personal care services ................ .504 164.5 164.4 2.2 -.1 Personal and educational expenses ....... 3.932 262.4 263.1 4.9 .3 School books and supplies ............. .241 247.0 249.4 5.3 1.0 Personal and educational services ..... 3.692 263.9 264.6 4.9 .3 Commodity and service group All items ................................... 100.000 158.4 158.7 1.2 .2 Commodities ............................... 46.401 141.4 141.4 -.3 .0 Food and beverages ...................... 19.434 159.6 159.1 1.7 -.3 Commodities less food and beverages ..... 26.967 130.4 130.6 -1.7 .2 Nondurables less food and beverages ... 15.915 131.5 131.9 -1.9 .3 Apparel commodities ................. 4.801 124.6 126.4 -.9 1.4 Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel ................................. 11.114 137.8 137.5 -2.3 -.2 Durables .............................. 11.052 127.7 127.8 -1.3 .1 Services .................................. 53.599 178.8 179.3 2.5 .3 Rent of shelter (1)...................... 25.761 167.4 168.2 3.2 .5 Household services less rent of shelter (1)...................................... 8.554 133.3 132.8 -.4 -.4 Transportation services ................. 7.302 185.0 185.4 2.3 .2 Medical care services ................... 5.276 242.6 244.0 3.0 .6 Other services .......................... 6.706 210.4 211.1 3.7 .3 Special indexes All items less food ......................... 82.261 158.2 158.5 1.1 .2 All items less shelter ...................... 73.695 154.3 154.3 .5 .0 All items less homeowners' costs (1)......... 82.136 148.3 148.4 .7 .1 All items less medical care ................. 93.669 154.7 154.9 1.1 .1 Commodities less food ....................... 28.662 131.7 132.0 -1.5 .2 Nondurables less food ....................... 17.610 133.5 133.9 -1.5 .3 Nondurables less food and apparel ........... 12.809 139.4 139.2 -1.8 -.1 Nondurables ................................. 35.349 145.9 145.8 .1 -.1 Services less rent of shelter (1)............ 27.838 169.2 169.4 1.9 .1 Services less medical care services ......... 48.322 173.3 173.7 2.4 0.2 Energy ...................................... 7.483 105.0 102.3 -9.2 -2.6 All items less energy ....................... 92.517 165.8 166.4 2.1 .4 All items less food and energy ............ 74.778 167.6 168.4 2.2 .5 Commodities less food and energy commodities ............................. 24.717 141.4 142.4 .5 .7 Energy commodities .................... 3.946 97.7 94.4 -13.1 -3.4 Services less energy services ........... 50.062 185.1 185.9 3.0 .4 Purchasing power of the consumer dollar: 1982-84=$1.00 ........................... - $ .631 $ .630 - - 1967=$1.00 .............................. - $ .212 $ .212 - - 1 Indexes on a December 1984=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 3(OS) Old Series Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Selected areas, all items index (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Prici- Indexes Percent change to ng Feb.1998 from-- Area sched- ule (1) Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Nov. Dec. Jan. 1997 1997 1998 1998 1997 1997 1998 U.S. city average ........................... M 161.5 161.3 161.6 162.0 0.3 0.4 0.2 Selected local areas Chicago-Gary-Lake County, IL-IN-WI .......... M 162.9 162.8 162.5 163.0 .1 .1 .3 Los Angeles-Anaheim-Riverside, CA ........... M 160.7 161.2 161.0 161.2 .3 .0 .1 New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT M 172.0 171.9 172.1 172.8 .5 .5 .4 Boston-Lawrence-Salem, MA-NH................. 1 169.4 - 171.0 - - - - Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, OH .................. 1 157.1 - 158.0 - - - - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ....................... 1 - 152.5 152.2 - - - - Detroit-Ann Arbor, MI ....................... 2 - 157.1 - 158.7 - 1.0 - Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX .............. 2 - 145.6 - 146.5 - .6 - Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ................... 2 159.5 159.3 - 160.6 .7 .8 - Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2 166.4 166.4 - 167.4 .6 .6 - San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA .......... 2 162.6 162.6 - 163.5 .6 .6 - Region and area size Northeast urban ............................. M 168.5 168.4 168.8 169.2 .4 .5 .2 Midwest urban (2)............................ M 157.7 157.3 157.6 158.1 .3 .5 .3 South urban ................................. M 157.8 157.3 157.7 157.9 .1 .4 .1 West urban .................................. M 162.8 162.8 163.0 163.3 .3 .3 .2 Population size classes A (3)........................................ M 145.8 145.7 146.0 146.4 .4 .5 .3 D ........................................... M 157.8 157.5 157.9 158.0 .1 .3 .1 Region/Population size class cross classifications Northeast Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..... M 169.3 169.1 169.5 170.1 .5 .6 .4 Midwest Size A - More than 1,500,000 ...... M 158.4 158.1 158.3 158.8 .3 .4 .3 South Size A - More than 1,500,000 ......... M 156.4 156.3 156.7 156.8 .3 .3 .1 West Size A - More than 1,500,000 ......... M 162.8 163.1 163.2 163.6 .5 .3 .2 Midwest Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ................................. M 153.7 153.0 153.0 153.1 -.4 .1 .1 South Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ................................. M 157.1 157.0 157.7 158.0 .6 .6 .2 1 The 'All items' index size B/C is on a December 1996=100 base. 2 The 'North Central' region has been renamed the 'Midwest' region by the Census Bureau. It is composed of the same geographic entities. 3 Indexes on a December 1986=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 4(OS) Old Series Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Selected areas, all items index (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Prici- Indexes Percent change to ng Feb.1998 from-- Area sched- ule (1) Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Nov. Dec. Jan. 1997 1997 1998 1998 1997 1997 1998 U.S. city average ........................... M 158.5 158.2 158.4 158.7 0.1 0.3 0.2 Selected local areas Chicago-Gary-Lake County, IL-IN-WI .......... M 157.2 157.3 156.8 157.2 .0 -.1 .3 Los Angeles-Anaheim-Riverside, CA ........... M 154.9 155.3 155.1 155.2 .2 -.1 .1 New York-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT M 168.0 167.7 167.7 168.3 .2 .4 .4 Boston-Lawrence-Salem, MA-NH................. 1 167.8 - 169.5 - - - - Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, OH .................. 1 149.1 - 149.9 - - - - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ....................... 1 - 152.7 152.2 - - - - Detroit-Ann Arbor, MI ....................... 2 - 151.7 - 153.0 - .9 - Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX .............. 2 - 144.5 - 145.1 - .4 - Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ................... 2 157.0 156.8 - 157.8 .5 .6 - Philadelphia-Wilmington-Trenton, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2 165.9 165.7 - 166.3 .2 .4 - San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA .......... 2 159.5 159.4 - 160.1 .4 .4 - Region and area size Northeast urban ............................. M 165.7 165.5 165.8 166.1 .2 .4 .2 Midwest urban (2)............................ M 154.0 153.7 153.9 154.3 .2 .4 .3 South urban ................................. M 156.2 155.6 155.8 155.8 -.3 .1 .0 West urban .................................. M 159.2 159.2 159.3 159.4 .1 .1 .1 Population size classes A (3)........................................ M 144.6 144.4 144.6 144.8 .1 .3 .1 D ........................................... M 156.9 156.7 156.8 156.8 -.1 .1 .0 Region/Population size class cross classifications Northeast Size A - More than 1,500,000 ..... M 165.5 165.2 165.4 165.9 .2 .4 .3 Midwest Size A - More than 1,500,000 ...... M 153.8 153.6 153.7 154.2 .3 .4 .3 South Size A - More than 1,500,000 ......... M 154.5 154.2 154.4 154.3 -.1 .1 -.1 West Size A - More than 1,500,000 ......... M 157.7 157.9 157.9 158.1 .3 .1 .1 Midwest Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ................................. M 151.6 151.0 151.0 151.0 -.4 .0 .0 South Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ................................. M 157.5 157.5 157.7 158.0 .3 .3 .2 1 The 'All items' index size B/C is on a December 1996=100 base. 2 The 'North Central' region has been renamed the 'Midwest' region by the Census Bureau. It is composed of the same geographic entities. 3 Indexes on a December 1986=100 base. - Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.