Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

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

The response outcomes for April 2020 data and April 2019 data for both the Commodities and Services Price Survey and the Housing Survey are shown in tables 1 and 2 below.

Table 1. Response outcomes for the commodities and services price survey
Outcome and mode April 2019 April 2020

Collected prices

86% 66%

Uncollected prices

14% 34%

Collection mode:

Personal visit

66% 0%

Telephone

9% 15%

Online

14% 68%

Other [1]

11% 16%

[1] Includes prices used in index collection not designed to be obtained by field collection, such as corporately provided data and sample collected by the national office.

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

Table 2. Response outcomes for the housing survey
Outcome and mode April 2019 April 2020

Collected rents

68% 65%

Vacant units

6% 4%

Uncollected rents

26% 31%

Collection mode:

Personal visit

38% 0%

Telephone

62% 100%

There was a slightly lower percentage of collected rents in April 2020 compared with April 2019. All rents in April 2020 were collected by telephone rather than personal visit.

For some CPI market basket categories, the percentage of the sample collected in April 2020 was notably lower than average. These included household paper products, haircuts and other personal care services, admissions (to things like sporting events and concerts), indoor plants and flowers, and new vehicles.

Table 3 lists the data series that were inadequate for publication in April 2020 because of insufficient sample that were adequate over the year before March 2020.

Table 3. List of data inadequate for publication for April 2020
LABSTAT ID Item Area

CPI-U Series

CUUR0000SERF03

Fees for lessons or instructions U.S. city average

CUUR0000SETA03

Leased cars and trucks U.S. city average

CUUR0000SS16014

Peanut butter U.S. city average

CUUR0000SS20053

Distilled spirits away from home U.S. city average

CUUR0360SATCLTB

Transportation commodities less motor fuel East South Central

CUUR0360SETA

New and used motor vehicles East South Central

CUUR0360SETA01

New vehicles East South Central

CUUR0370SAGS

Other personal services West South Central

CUURS23BSAGS

Other personal services Detroit

CUURS35BSAF116

Alcoholic beverages Miami

CUURS35ESAG

Other goods and services Baltimore

CUURS37BSAGS

Other personal services Houston

CUURS48ASAGS

Other personal services Phoenix

CUURS48ASAM

Medical care Phoenix

CUURS49BSAGS

Other personal services San Francisco

CUURS49DSAG

Other goods and services Seattle

CUURS49DSAGS

Other personal services Seattle

CUURS49DSATCLTB

Transportation commodities less motor fuel Seattle

CUURS49DSETA

New and used motor vehicles Seattle

CUURS49DSETA01

New vehicles Seattle

CUURS49GSAGS

Other personal services Urban Alaska

CPI-W Series

CWUR0000SERF03

Fees for lessons or instructions U.S. city average

CWUR0000SETA03

Leased cars and trucks U.S. city average

CWUR0370SAGS

Other personal services West South Central

CWUR0480SAGS

Other personal services Mountain

CWURS35ESAGS

Other goods and services Baltimore

CWURS35ESAGC

Other goods Baltimore

CWURS37BSAGS

Other personal services Houston

CWURS48ASAGS

Other personal services Phoenix

CWURS48BSAGS

Other personal services San Francisco

CWURS49DSAG

Other goods and services Seattle

CWURS49DSAGS

Other personal services Seattle

CWURS49DSETA01

New vehicles Seattle

C-CPI-U Series

No series were inadequate for publication for April 2020.

AP Series

APU0000701111

Flour, white, all purpose, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000701312

Rice, white, long grain, uncooked, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000704312

Ham, boneless, excluding canned, per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000711311

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

APU0000711415

Strawberries, dry pint, per 12 oz. (340.2 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000711417

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

APU0000712406

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

APU0000712412

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

APU0000714233

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

APU0000FC4101

All Uncooked Other Beef (Excluding Veal), per lb. (453.6 gm) U.S. city average

APU0000FD2101

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

APU0000FD4101

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

APU0100702111

Bread, white, pan, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast

APU0100704212

Chops, boneless, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast

APU0100710212

Cheddar cheese, natural, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast

APU0100711211

Bananas, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast

APU0100711415

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

APU0100FC4101

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

APU0100FD2101

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

APU0100FD3101

All Pork Chops, per lb. (453.6 gm) Northeast

APU0100FD4101

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

APU0200711211

Bananas, per lb. (453.6 gm) Midwest urban

APU0200711311

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

APU0200711411

Grapefruit, per lb. (453.6 gm) Midwest urban

APU0200712112

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

APU0300702111

Bread, white, pan, per lb. (453.6 gm) South

APU0300704212

Chops, boneless, per lb. (453.6 gm) South

APU0300705121

Bologna, all beef or mixed, per lb. (453.6 gm) South

APU0300706111

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

APU0300711211

Bananas, per lb. (453.6 gm) South

APU0300711311

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

APU0300711412

Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) South

APU0300711415

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

APU0300711417

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

APU0300714233

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

APU0300716116

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

APU0300FC4101

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

APU0300FD2101

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

APU0400701111

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

APU0400703112

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

APU0400704111

Bacon, sliced, per lb. (453.6 gm) West

APU0400704312

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

APU0400705111

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

APU0400706212

Chicken legs, bone-in, per lb. (453.6 gm) West

APU0400711412

Lemons, per lb. (453.6 gm) West

APU0400711415

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

APU0400715211

Sugar, white, all sizes, per lb. (453.6 gm) West

APU0400720111

Malt beverages, all types, all sizes, any origin, per 16 oz. (473.2 ml) West

APU0400720311

Wine, red and white table, all sizes, any origin, per 1 liter (33.8 oz) West

APU0400FC1101

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

APU0400FC2101

All Uncooked Beef Roasts, per lb. (453.6 gm) West

APU0400FC4101

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

APU0400FD2101

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

APU0400FD3101

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

APU0400FD4101

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

APU0400FF1101

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

Last Modified Date: May 12, 2020