The Producer Price Index for finished goods advanced 0.4 percent in December (seasonally adjusted), after declining 0.1 percent in November and 0.2 percent in October.
Leading the December rise in the finished goods index, prices for finished energy goods increased 1.6 percent, the largest advance since a 2.5-percent jump in June 2013. More than half of the increase in December can be attributed to a 2.2-percent increase in the gasoline index.
Also contributing to the advance in the finished goods index, the index for finished goods less foods and energy rose 0.3 percent in December, the largest advance since a 0.5-percent rise in July 2012. Nearly half of the December increase is a result of a 3.6-percent increase in prices for tobacco products.
These data are from the BLS Producer Price Index program. To learn more, see "Producer Price Indexes — December 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑14‑0036. All producer price indexes are routinely subject to revision once, 4 months after original publication, to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.
United States Department of Labor
