Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The unchanged November index was influenced by higher prices for gasoline, offset by lower prices for electricity and apparel. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 3.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices rose 7.7 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.9 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices inched down 0.1 percent for the month of November. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home decreased 0.4 percent, but prices for food away from home edged up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 1.7 percent. Prices for food away from home increased 3.7 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home rose 0.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index edged down 0.2 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for electricity (-3.8 percent). Prices for natural gas service decreased 6.4 percent, but prices for gasoline advanced 3.1 percent for the same period.

Energy prices rose 7.7 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (14.3 percent). Prices paid for electricity increased 1.4 percent, but prices for natural gas service declined 3.9 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged in November. Lower prices for apparel (-3.4 percent) and recreation (-0.1 percent) were partially offset by higher prices for medical care (0.2 percent) and shelter (0.1 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.9 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (4.7 percent) and medical care (2.4 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price declines in apparel (-1.6 percent), used cars and trucks (-1.4 percent), and education and communication (-0.6 percent).

Table A. West Region CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)

Month	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017
	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual	Monthly	Annual
January	0.4	2.6	0.3	1.7	0.3	1.7	-0.3	0.7	0.5	2.6	0.5	2.5
February	0.4	2.5	0.8	2.0	0.4	1.3	0.6	0.9	0.1	2.1	0.6	3.0
March	0.9	2.4	0.4	1.5	0.6	1.5	0.8	1.1	0.2	1.5	0.3	3.1
April	0.2	2.1	0.0	1.3	0.3	1.8	0.3	1.0	0.5	1.8	0.3	2.9
May	0.2	2.0	0.2	1.3	0.6	2.3	0.8	1.2	0.5	1.5	0.2	2.6
June	-0.2	2.0	0.1	1.5	0.1	2.3	0.0	1.1	0.2	1.6	0.0	2.5
July	-0.3	1.8	0.0	1.9	0.1	2.3	0.3	1.3	0.1	1.4	0.1	2.5
August	0.5	2.1	0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.1	-0.1	1.3	0.0	1.5	0.2	2.7
September	0.5	2.2	0.2	1.3	0.1	2.0	-0.2	1.0	0.3	2.0	0.5	2.9
October	0.4	2.5	-0.1	0.9	-0.1	2.0	0.0	1.1	0.3	2.3	0.3	2.9
November	-0.7	1.9	-0.4	1.3	-0.6	1.7	-0.2	1.5	-0.2	2.3	0.0	3.1
December	-0.5	1.7	0.0	1.8	-0.5	1.3	-0.1	1.8	0.0	2.5

The December 2017 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on January 12, 2018.

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 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 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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/cpi/.

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 West Region covered in this release is comprised of the following thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

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

West (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from-
	Sep. 2017	Oct. 2017	Nov. 2017	Nov. 2016	Sep. 2017	Oct. 2017
Expenditure category
All Items	256.504	257.223	257.126	3.1	0.2	0.0
All items (December 1977=100)	414.625	415.786	415.629
Food and beverages	256.241	255.751	255.463	1.7	-0.3	-0.1
Food	256.226	255.590	255.236	1.7	-0.4	-0.1
Food at home	246.581	245.094	244.108	0.3	-1.0	-0.4
Food away from home	268.673	269.251	269.801	3.7	0.4	0.2
Alcoholic beverages	253.075	254.567	255.170	1.7	0.8	0.2
Housing	278.592	280.172	279.617	3.9	0.4	-0.2
Shelter	319.659	321.741	321.991	4.7	0.7	0.1
Rent of primary residence(1)	336.493	338.364	339.973	4.7	1.0	0.5
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(1)(2)	335.814	337.539	339.010	4.8	1.0	0.4
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(1)(2)	335.821	337.547	339.013	4.8	1.0	0.4
Fuels and utilities	296.756	297.769	289.512	1.5	-2.4	-2.8
Household energy	255.958	257.284	246.737	0.5	-3.6	-4.1
Energy services(1)	258.133	259.651	248.236	0.2	-3.8	-4.4
Electricity(1)	287.179	288.877	277.928	1.4	-3.2	-3.8
Utility (piped) gas service(1)	205.169	206.353	193.095	-3.9	-5.9	-6.4
Household furnishings and operations	127.647	127.713	127.873	-0.4	0.2	0.1
Apparel	120.642	122.676	118.553	-1.6	-1.7	-3.4
Transportation	206.646	205.592	207.818	5.2	0.6	1.1
Private transportation	201.848	200.274	202.613	5.7	0.4	1.2
New and used motor vehicles(3)	99.340	99.057	98.876	-0.2	-0.5	-0.2
New vehicles	146.069	145.898	146.188	-1.2	0.1	0.2
New cars and trucks(3)(4)	101.454	101.330	101.528	-1.2	0.1	0.2
New cars(4)	142.413	142.454	142.820	-1.5	0.3	0.3
Used cars and trucks	132.279	131.139	130.151	-1.4	-1.6	-0.8
Motor fuel	236.781	229.619	236.882	14.4	0.0	3.2
Gasoline (all types)	235.889	228.558	235.686	14.3	-0.1	3.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)	233.275	225.865	232.907	14.5	-0.2	3.1
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	224.087	218.107	225.115	14.1	0.5	3.2
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)	231.464	225.170	231.940	13.4	0.2	3.0
Medical Care	482.243	483.541	484.696	2.4	0.5	0.2
Medical care commodities	374.072	373.801	376.052	5.6	0.5	0.6
Medical care services	516.198	518.068	518.795	1.6	0.5	0.1
Professional services	352.941	353.532	353.472	0.4	0.2	0.0
Recreation(3)	112.813	113.238	113.144	1.2	0.3	-0.1
Education and communication(3)	136.162	136.464	136.503	-0.6	0.3	0.0
Other goods and services	425.862	428.217	428.094	4.3	0.5	0.0
Commodity and Service Group
All Items	256.504	257.223	257.126	3.1	0.2	0.0
Commodities	181.816	181.256	181.303	2.0	-0.3	0.0
Commodities less food & beverages	144.800	144.238	144.413	2.2	-0.3	0.1
Nondurables less food & beverages	187.844	187.122	187.376	4.7	-0.2	0.1
Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel	235.120	232.626	235.672	6.8	0.2	1.3
Durables	105.788	105.371	105.477	-1.2	-0.3	0.1
Services	325.645	327.590	327.355	3.7	0.5	-0.1
Rent of shelter(2)	340.318	342.547	342.816	4.7	0.7	0.1
Transportation services	301.491	304.522	307.585	6.0	2.0	1.0
Other services	344.641	345.744	345.295	1.0	0.2	-0.1
Special aggregate indexes:
All items less medical care	246.183	246.875	246.723	3.1	0.2	-0.1
All items less food	256.720	257.648	257.590	3.3	0.3	0.0
All items less shelter	231.883	232.026	231.779	2.1	0.0	-0.1
Commodities less food	148.849	148.337	148.525	2.2	-0.2	0.1
Nondurables	222.191	221.568	221.572	3.1	-0.3	0.0
Nondurables less food	192.748	192.146	192.421	4.4	-0.2	0.1
Nondurables less food and apparel	236.564	234.429	237.254	6.3	0.3	1.2
Services less rent of shelter(2)	343.442	345.234	344.306	2.3	0.3	-0.3
Services less medical care services	312.335	314.279	313.983	3.9	0.5	-0.1
Energy	248.061	244.605	244.002	7.7	-1.6	-0.2
All items less energy	259.236	260.273	260.214	2.8	0.4	0.0
All items less food and energy	260.539	261.863	261.853	2.9	0.5	0.0
Commodities less food and energy commodities	139.425	139.704	139.013	0.0	-0.3	-0.5
Energy commodities	241.218	233.954	241.600	14.4	0.2	3.3
Services less energy services	330.774	332.752	333.212	3.8	0.7	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) Index is 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.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.