The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City was unchanged from August to October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Sheila Watkins noted that lower prices for all items less food and energy (-0.1 percent) were offset by higher prices for food (0.3 percent) and energy (0.4 percent) since August. (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 CPI-U increased 0.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The over-the-year rise was led by increases in the energy index (6.0 percent) and the all items less food and energy index (0.4 percent). Prices for food also rose since October 2016, up 0.8 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Following a 0.8-percent rise from June to August, the food index increased 0.3 percent over the last two months. Prices were higher for both food at home and food away from home (0.3 percent each) since August. Within the food at home component, higher prices for various items including citrus fruits were moderated by lower prices for salad dressing and milk, among others.

Over the year, the food index increased 0.8 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 2.3 percent, while those for food at home edged down 0.2 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, increased 0.4 percent since August. This was due largely to higher prices for gasoline, up 3.5 percent over the last two months. Prices were lower for both electricity (-4.3 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (-2.8 percent) since August.

Over the year, the energy index rose 6.0 percent, led by a 16.7-percent advance in gasoline prices. Prices were also higher for utility (piped) gas service (4.0 percent), while those for electricity declined 5.2 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched down 0.1 percent from August to October, led by lower prices for new and used motor vehicles and recreation (-1.0 percent). Higher prices for education and communication (0.7 percent), shelter (0.1 percent), and other goods and services (0.8 percent) moderated the decrease in the all items less food and energy index since August.

Since October 2016, the index for all items less food and energy increased 0.4 percent. This was largely due to higher prices for shelter (2.0 percent). Lower prices for education and communication (-2.8 percent), among others, moderated the 12-month increase in the all items less food and energy index.

Table A. Philadelphia CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2013		2014		2015		2016		2017
	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month
February	0.7	1.8	0.5	1.0	-0.2	-0.1	0.3	0.3	0.7	2.1
April	0.1	1.1	0.5	1.4	0.5	0.0	0.9	0.6	0.0	1.3
June	0.3	1.5	0.6	1.8	0.8	0.2	0.3	0.1	-0.3	0.7
August	0.5	1.1	0.0	1.3	-0.5	-0.3	-0.2	0.3	0.5	1.4
October	-0.4	0.3	-0.1	1.6	-0.3	-0.5	0.6	1.3	0.0	0.8
December	0.1	1.2	-0.8	0.6	-0.6	-0.2	-0.1	1.7

The Consumer Price Index for December 2017 is scheduled to be released Friday, January 12, 2018 at 8:30 am (ET).

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City is published bi-monthly. 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 Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md., Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Cecil County in Maryland.

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, Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md., (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	Aug. 2017	Sep. 2017	Oct. 2017	Oct. 2016	Aug. 2017	Sep. 2017
All items		248.919		248.956	0.8	0.0
All items (1967 = 100)		719.113		719.219
Food and beverages		233.252		233.750	0.7	0.2
Food		233.030		233.726	0.8	0.3
Food at home		238.332	236.608	239.047	-0.2	0.3	1.0
Food away from home		220.341		220.996	2.3	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		232.882		231.057	-0.4	-0.8
Housing		256.472		256.047	1.4	-0.2
Shelter		319.906	319.583	320.165	2.0	0.1	0.2
Rent of primary residence(1)		297.212	297.460	297.471	2.4	0.1	0.0
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)(3)		327.425	327.228	327.373	1.6	0.0	0.0
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)(3)		327.425	327.228	327.373	1.6	0.0	0.0
Fuels and utilities		201.570		199.831	0.1	-0.9
Household energy		167.072	167.234	164.005	-1.0	-1.8	-1.9
Gas (piped) and electricity(1)		179.972	178.205	173.116	-2.5	-3.8	-2.9
Electricity(1)		186.099	186.285	178.165	-5.2	-4.3	-4.4
Utility (piped) gas service(1)		158.351	153.070	153.881	4.0	-2.8	0.5
Household furnishings and operations		112.779		111.034	-2.3	-1.5
Apparel		113.485		113.454	-4.5	0.0
Transportation		207.656		208.203	3.6	0.3
Private transportation		206.742		206.859	3.8	0.1
Motor fuel		224.479	250.847	232.260	16.8	3.5	-7.4
Gasoline (all types)		221.331	247.463	228.974	16.7	3.5	-7.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		217.835	244.495	225.732	17.1	3.6	-7.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		229.966	253.080	235.779	15.3	2.5	-6.8
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		227.265	249.290	233.491	15.0	2.7	-6.3
Medical care		510.778		510.080	-0.6	-0.1
Recreation(6)		122.740		121.572	-0.2	-1.0
Education and communication(6)		129.279		130.172	-2.8	0.7
Other goods and services		530.322		534.786	1.4	0.8
Commodity and service group
Commodities		176.647		177.048	0.2	0.2
Commodities less food and beverages		145.393		145.735	0.0	0.2
Nondurables less food and beverages		185.443		188.403	1.9	1.6
Durables		101.594		99.679	-3.1	-1.9
Services		322.227		321.932	1.1	-0.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		225.697		225.651	0.2	0.0
All items less medical care		237.907		237.977	0.9	0.0
Commodities less food		148.499		148.777	-0.1	0.2
Nondurables		210.490		212.373	1.3	0.9
Nondurables less food		188.208		190.877	1.7	1.4
Services less rent of shelter(2)		331.696		330.776	0.2	-0.3
Services less medical care services		307.968		307.685	1.2	-0.1
Energy		187.750	197.146	188.497	6.0	0.4	-4.4
All items less energy		257.547		257.507	0.4	0.0
All items less food and energy		264.341		264.177	0.4	-0.1
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) This index series underwent a change in composition in January 2010. The expenditure class now includes weight from secondary residences, and has been re-titled "Owners' equivalent rent of residences." The item stratum "Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence" excludes secondary residences. (4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (6) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.