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errata

Incorrect prices for prescription drugs were used for the CPI-U and CPI-W indexes from May through August 2016 in a number of areas. Several indexes were affected, including the all items and medical care indexes. A list of the series affected can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cpi-price-corrections-10182016.htm, and the corrected data are available in the CPI database (www.bls.gov/cpi/data.htm).

News Release Information

16-2043-PHI
Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – September 2016

Regional prices up 0.2 over the month and 1.3 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast edged up 0.2 percent in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the all items less energy index and the energy index increased over the month, up 0.1 and 1.3 percent, respectively. Food prices also rose since August, inching up 0.1 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the Northeast all items CPI-U increased 1.3 percent, due to a 1.8-percent advance in the all items less food and energy index. (See chart 1 and table A.) The energy index declined 2.6 percent, while the food index was unchanged. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index inched up 0.1 percent over the month. Prices for food away from home edged up 0.3 percent, while prices for food at home were unchanged.  

From September 2015 to September 2016, the food index was unchanged as a 1.8-percent decrease in prices for food at home was offset by a 2.6-percent increase in those for food away from home.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, rose 1.3 percent since August, due largely to a 1.9-percent increase in gasoline prices. Prices also increased for electricity and utility (piped) gas service, up 0.8 and 0.7 percent, respectively.

The energy index declined 2.6 percent since September 2015, led by a 5.9-percent decrease in gasoline prices. Prices for utility (piped) gas service and electricity advanced over the year, up 3.6 and 0.3 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched up 0.1 percent in September, led by a seasonal increase in apparel prices (3.9 percent). Prices for education and communication also increased, up 0.3 percent over the month. These and other increases were moderated by a 0.8-percent decline in prices for new and used motor vehicles.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.8 percent, led by higher prices for shelter (2.6 percent). Prices were also higher over the year for medical care (4.2 percent), among others.

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month

January

0.4 2.9 0.3 1.8 0.6 1.5 -0.2 -0.4 0.0 0.7

February

0.4 2.8 0.6 2.0 0.1 1.0 0.2 -0.2 0.2 0.7

March

0.5 2.5 0.0 1.5 0.5 1.5 0.3 -0.4 0.2 0.6

April

0.3 2.3 -0.1 1.1 0.0 1.6 0.1 -0.3 0.6 1.0

May

-0.1 1.7 0.0 1.2 0.4 2.0 0.4 -0.3 0.3 0.9

June

-0.2 1.5 0.1 1.5 0.0 1.9 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.7

July

-0.1 1.1 0.2 1.8 0.1 1.8 -0.1 -0.2 0.0 0.8

August

0.5 1.3 0.2 1.5 -0.3 1.3 -0.2 -0.1 0.1 1.0

September

0.5 1.7 0.1 1.1 0.0 1.2 0.0 -0.1 0.2 1.3

October

0.1 1.9 -0.4 0.7 -0.2 1.4 -0.2 -0.1    

November

-0.2 1.8 0.1 1.0 -0.4 0.9 0.0 0.3    

December

-0.3 1.8 0.0 1.3 -0.5 0.4 -0.4 0.5    

The Consumer Price Index for October 2016 is scheduled to be released Thursday, November 17, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

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

The CPI is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, and fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors' and dentists' services, drugs, and the other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. Each month, prices are collected in 87 urban areas across the country from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 retail establishments--department stores, supermarkets, hospitals, filling stations, and other types of stores and service establishments. All taxes directly associated with the purchase and use of items are included in the index.

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

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

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

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

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Northeast Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
 
Historical
data
Jul.
2016
Aug.
2016
Sep.
2016
Sep.
2015
Jul.
2016
Aug.
2016

All items

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(R) 255.386(R) 255.545256.0851.3(R) 0.3(R) 0.2

All items (December 1977 = 100)

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(R) 402.155(R) 402.405403.256   
 

Food and beverages

Jump to page with historical data
252.342252.298252.7030.10.10.2

Food

Jump to page with historical data
252.378252.325252.6510.00.10.1

Food at home

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244.816244.587244.649-1.8-0.10.0

Food away from home

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266.926267.145267.8802.60.40.3

Alcoholic beverages

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250.699250.758252.1931.10.60.6
 

Housing

Jump to page with historical data
270.407270.680270.9562.00.20.1

Shelter

Jump to page with historical data
335.313336.263336.1652.60.30.0

Rent of primary residence (1)

Jump to page with historical data
334.853335.487336.2552.50.40.2

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

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346.019346.822347.9772.70.60.3

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

Jump to page with historical data
345.739346.541347.6982.70.60.3

Fuels and utilities

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208.943207.358209.0380.40.00.8

Household energy

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184.098182.288184.037-0.10.01.0

Energy services (1)

Jump to page with historical data
186.676185.251186.7181.10.00.8

Electricity (1)

Jump to page with historical data
197.943196.601198.1930.30.10.8

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

Jump to page with historical data
149.579148.078149.1773.6-0.30.7

Household furnishings and operations

Jump to page with historical data
120.854120.230120.761-1.7-0.10.4
 

Apparel

Jump to page with historical data
127.212131.494136.6361.17.43.9
 

Transportation

Jump to page with historical data
197.243194.974194.673-1.2-1.3-0.2

Private transportation

Jump to page with historical data
188.370186.611186.546-1.3-1.00.0

New and used motor vehicles (3)

Jump to page with historical data
97.59497.15896.364-1.9-1.3-0.8

New vehicles

Jump to page with historical data
145.629145.616145.498-0.1-0.1-0.1

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

Jump to page with historical data
100.885100.875100.799-0.2-0.1-0.1

New cars (4)

Jump to page with historical data
136.594136.451136.312-1.0-0.2-0.1

Used cars and trucks

Jump to page with historical data
152.541151.755149.137-4.2-2.2-1.7

Motor fuel

Jump to page with historical data
190.982183.214186.738-5.9-2.21.9

Gasoline (all types)

Jump to page with historical data
190.233182.452185.974-5.9-2.21.9

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

Jump to page with historical data
187.561179.498183.112-6.1-2.42.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

Jump to page with historical data
204.866197.839201.184-5.1-1.81.7

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

Jump to page with historical data
200.745195.160198.018-5.2-1.41.5
 

Medical care

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 486.995(R) 488.309488.5844.2(R) 0.3(R) 0.1

Medical care commodities

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 388.179(R) 388.987391.6694.2(R) 0.9(R) 0.7

Medical care services

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 514.773(R) 516.243515.6944.2(R) 0.2(R) -0.1

Professional services

Jump to page with historical data
374.076374.265373.6462.9-0.1-0.2
 

Recreation (3)

Jump to page with historical data
120.913121.040121.2370.40.30.2
 

Education and communication (3)

Jump to page with historical data
140.870141.590142.0211.00.80.3
 

Other goods and services

Jump to page with historical data
463.534466.240467.3123.20.80.2
 

Commodity and service group

 

Commodities

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 184.642(R) 184.513185.596-0.9(R) 0.5(R) 0.6

Commodities less food and beverages

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 147.917(R) 147.760149.063-1.6(R) 0.8(R) 0.9

Nondurables less food and beverages

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(R) 184.618(R) 184.781188.047-0.9(R) 1.9(R) 1.8

Durables

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105.176104.785104.437-2.4-0.7-0.3

Services

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(R) 323.701(R) 324.117324.1902.4(R) 0.2(R) 0.0
 

Special aggregate indexes

 

All items less shelter

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 227.921(R) 227.790228.5690.5(R) 0.3(R) 0.3

All items less medical care

Jump to page with historical data
245.212245.319245.8721.00.30.2

Commodities less food

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 151.619(R) 151.468152.782-1.5(R) 0.8(R) 0.9

Nondurables

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(R) 218.223(R) 218.290220.237-0.4(R) 0.9(R) 0.9

Nondurables less food

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(R) 188.480(R) 188.638191.794-0.7(R) 1.8(R) 1.7

Services less rent of shelter (2)

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 322.464(R) 322.326322.5812.2(R) 0.0(R) 0.1

Services less medical care services

Jump to page with historical data
310.518310.865310.9782.20.10.0

Energy

Jump to page with historical data
187.052182.872185.329-2.6-0.91.3

All items less energy

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 264.954(R) 265.552265.9041.5(R) 0.4(R) 0.1

All items less food and energy

Jump to page with historical data
(R) 268.874(R) 269.587269.9461.8(R) 0.4(R) 0.1

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

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

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2016