The Producer Price Index for final demand moved up 1.4 percent for the 12 months ended in March 2014 (on an unadjusted basis). This is the largest 12-month advance since a 1.7-percent increase in August 2013.
For the 12 months ended in March 2014, the index for final demand goods (which has a relative importance value of 34.4 percent) advanced 1.1 percent. Within final demand goods, the index for final demand foods (relative importance 5.5 percent) increased 0.8 percent and the index for final demand energy (relative importance 6.8 percent) increased 1.0 percent, while the index for final demand goods less food and energy (which accounts for the remaining 22.1 of the final demand goods relative importance) increased 1.2 percent.
The 12-month change in the index for final demand services (which has a relative importance value of 63.5 percent) increased 1.6 percent. The index for final demand trade services (relative importance 19.9 percent) increased 0.9 percent and the index for final demand transportation and warehousing services (relative importance 4.9 percent) increased 1.0 percent. The index for final demand services less trade, transportation, and warehousing (which accounts for the remaining 38.7 percent of the final demand services relative importance) increased 1.9 percent.
Over the year, from March 2013 to March 2014, the final demand construction index (with a relative importance of 2.1 percent) increased 3.2 percent.
These data are from the Producer Price Index program. See "Producer Price Indexes — March 2014" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-14-0567, for more information. The relative importance of a component of the PPI represents its value weight that is allocated to the final demand category, expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the category.
United States Department of Labor
