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News Release Information

16-2202-PHI
Thursday, November 17, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – October 2016

Regional prices up 0.2 over the month and 1.6 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast edged up 0.2 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the all items less food and energy index and the energy index increased over the month, up 0.2 percent each. Food prices were unchanged since September. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the Northeast all items CPI-U increased 1.6 percent, due almost entirely to a 1.9-percent advance in the all items less food and energy index. (See chart 1 and table A.) The energy index also increased, up 1.2 percent, while the food index inched down 0.1 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index was unchanged over the month as prices for food away from home edged up 0.2 percent and prices for food at home inched down 0.1 percent.  

From October 2015 to October 2016, the food index declined 0.1 percent, as a 2.0-percent decrease in prices for food at home was mostly offset by a 2.7-percent increase in those for food away from home.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, rose 0.2 percent since September, due to a 1.8-percent increase in gasoline prices. Prices decreased for electricity and utility (piped) gas service, down 2.4 and 0.1 percent, respectively. 

Over the year, the energy index increased 1.2 percent, the first 12-month increase in this index since July 2014. The advance was led by a 6.2-percent rise in utility (piped) gas service prices. Prices for gasoline and electricity also rose over the year, up 1.2 and 0.5 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.2 percent over the month, led by an increase in shelter prices (0.4 percent). Prices for apparel also increased, up 0.6 percent over the month. These and other increases were moderated by a 1.8-percent decline in prices for used cars and trucks.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.9 percent since October 2015, led by higher prices for shelter (2.9 percent). Prices were also higher over the year for medical care (3.7 percent), among others.

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20122013201420152016
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.42.90.31.80.61.5-0.2-0.40.00.7

February

0.42.80.62.00.11.00.2-0.20.20.7

March

0.52.50.01.50.51.50.3-0.40.20.6

April

0.32.3-0.11.10.01.60.1-0.30.61.0

May

-0.11.70.01.20.42.00.4-0.30.30.9

June

-0.21.50.11.50.01.90.30.00.20.7

July

-0.11.10.21.80.11.8-0.1-0.20.00.8

August

0.51.30.21.5-0.31.3-0.2-0.10.11.0

September

0.51.70.11.10.01.20.0-0.10.21.3

October

0.11.9-0.40.7-0.21.4-0.2-0.10.21.6

November

-0.21.80.11.0-0.40.90.00.3  

December

-0.31.80.01.3-0.50.4-0.40.5  

The Consumer Price Index for November 2016 is scheduled to be released Thursday, December 15, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).


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 approximately 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 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 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/pdf/homch17.pdf.

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 Northeast region is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

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, Northeast Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)
Expenditure categoryIndexesPercent change from
 
Historical
data
Aug.
2016
Sep.
2016
Oct.
2016
Oct.
2015
Aug.
2016
Sep.
2016

All items

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255.545256.085256.6051.60.40.2

All items (December 1977 = 100)

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402.405403.256404.075   
 

Food and beverages

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252.298252.703252.7570.00.20.0

Food

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252.325252.651252.692-0.10.10.0

Food at home

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244.587244.649244.455-2.0-0.1-0.1

Food away from home

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267.145267.880268.2842.70.40.2

Alcoholic beverages

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250.758252.193252.4161.20.70.1
 

Housing

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270.680270.956271.4862.30.30.2

Shelter

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336.263336.165337.4082.90.30.4

Rent of primary residence (1)

Jump to page with historical data
335.487336.255337.8632.70.70.5

Owners' equivalent rent of residences (1) (2)

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346.822347.977349.3523.00.70.4

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence (1) (2)

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346.541347.698349.0623.00.70.4

Fuels and utilities

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207.358209.038207.5211.60.1-0.7

Household energy

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182.288184.037182.4151.40.1-0.9

Energy services (1)

Jump to page with historical data
185.251186.718183.3151.9-1.0-1.8

Electricity (1)

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196.601198.193193.3710.5-1.6-2.4

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

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148.078149.177149.0296.20.6-0.1

Household furnishings and operations

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120.230120.761120.438-2.30.2-0.3
 

Apparel

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131.494136.636137.4522.94.50.6
 

Transportation

Jump to page with historical data
194.974194.673195.7640.50.40.6

Private transportation

Jump to page with historical data
186.611186.546187.4530.60.50.5

New and used motor vehicles (3)

Jump to page with historical data
97.15896.36496.303-1.2-0.9-0.1

New vehicles

Jump to page with historical data
145.616145.498146.0200.60.30.4

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

Jump to page with historical data
100.875100.799101.1590.60.30.4

New cars (4)

Jump to page with historical data
136.451136.312137.1270.00.50.6

Used cars and trucks

Jump to page with historical data
151.755149.137146.400-4.2-3.5-1.8

Motor fuel

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183.214186.738190.1781.23.81.8

Gasoline (all types)

Jump to page with historical data
182.452185.974189.3941.23.81.8

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

Jump to page with historical data
179.498183.112186.6381.44.01.9

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

Jump to page with historical data
197.839201.184203.9450.83.11.4

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

Jump to page with historical data
195.160198.018200.6700.32.81.3
 

Medical care

Jump to page with historical data
488.309488.584488.8663.70.10.1

Medical care commodities

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388.987391.669391.2164.10.6-0.1

Medical care services

Jump to page with historical data
516.243515.694516.2223.60.00.1

Professional services

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374.265373.646372.7932.7-0.4-0.2
 

Recreation (3)

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121.040121.237121.1780.20.10.0
 

Education and communication (3)

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141.590142.021142.1520.70.40.1
 

Other goods and services

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466.240467.312468.0523.00.40.2
 

Commodity and service group

 

Commodities

Jump to page with historical data
184.513185.596185.898-0.10.80.2

Commodities less food and beverages

Jump to page with historical data
147.760149.063149.451-0.21.10.3

Nondurables less food and beverages

Jump to page with historical data
184.781188.047189.6671.62.60.9

Durables

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104.785104.437103.829-2.6-0.9-0.6

Services

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324.117324.190324.9142.50.20.2
 

Special aggregate indexes

 

All items less shelter

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227.790228.569228.8260.90.50.1

All items less medical care

Jump to page with historical data
245.319245.872246.4031.40.40.2

Commodities less food

Jump to page with historical data
151.468152.782153.167-0.11.10.3

Nondurables

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218.290220.237221.1340.81.30.4

Nondurables less food

Jump to page with historical data
188.638191.794193.3301.62.50.8

Services less rent of shelter (2)

Jump to page with historical data
322.326322.581322.7672.10.10.1

Services less medical care services

Jump to page with historical data
310.865310.978311.7132.40.30.2

Energy

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182.872185.329185.7171.21.60.2

All items less energy

Jump to page with historical data
265.552265.904266.4431.70.30.2

All items less food and energy

Jump to page with historical data
269.587269.946270.5721.90.40.2

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) Indexes 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.

Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016