Consumer prices edge down in August

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined 0.1 percent in August after increasing 0.2 percent in July. For the 12-month period ended in August, the CPI-U increased 3.4 percent.

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The energy index, which rose 0.1 percent in July, fell 2.9 percent in August. The indexes for petroleum-based energy and for energy services declined 5.5 and 0.2 percent, respectively.

The food index rose 0.2 percent in August. The index for food at home increased 0.3 percent after advancing 0.7 percent in July, with each of the major food at home groups except fruits and vegetables contributing to the deceleration. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent in August, the same as in each of the previous four months.

During the first eight months of 2000, the CPI-U rose at a 3.5 percent seasonally adjusted annual rate. This compares with an increase of 2.7 percent for all of 1999.

These data are a product of the BLS Consumer Price Index program.