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Wednesday, February 14, 2018
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast rose 0.5 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the recent one-month increase reflected a rise in the all items less food and energy index, up 0.4 percent. The energy index and food index also increased since December, up 2.0 and 0.5 percent, respectively. (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 largely to an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 1.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The energy index (6.7 percent) and the food index (2.0 percent) also increased over the year. (See table 1.)
FoodThe food index increased 0.5 percent since December. Prices increased for both food at home (0.6 percent) and for food away from home (0.4 percent).
From January 2017 to January 2018 the food index increased 2.0 percent, as prices for food away from home increased 2.7 percent and prices for food at home rose 1.4 percent.
EnergyThe energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, increased 2.0 percent in January, reflecting a 2.5-percent increase in gasoline prices. Prices were also higher for electricity, up 2.3 percent, while prices for utility (piped) gas service decreased 3.2 percent.
The energy index advanced 6.7 percent since January 2017. The increase was mostly due to a 7.6-percent rise in gasoline prices. Prices also increased over the year for electricity (3.9 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (4.4 percent).
All items less food and energyThe index for all items less food and energy rose 0.4 percent over the month. Prices increased for categories including shelter (0.2 percent), apparel (2.5 percent), medical care (0.6 percent), and recreation (0.6 percent), among others.
The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.1 percent since January 2017, led by higher prices for shelter (1.9 percent) and medical care (2.6 percent), among others. Meanwhile, prices were lower over the year for education and communication (-1.8 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-2.6 percent).
Month | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | |
January | 0.6 | 1.5 | -0.2 | -0.4 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
February | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.2 | -0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.6 | ||
March | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.3 | -0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | -0.1 | 2.2 | ||
April | 0.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | -0.3 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.9 | ||
May | 0.4 | 2.0 | 0.4 | -0.3 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 1.7 | ||
June | 0.0 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.5 | ||
July | 0.1 | 1.8 | -0.1 | -0.2 | 0.0 | 0.8 | -0.2 | 1.3 | ||
August | -0.3 | 1.3 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.6 | ||
September | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | -0.1 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.9 | ||
October | -0.2 | 1.4 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 0.2 | 1.6 | -0.1 | 1.5 | ||
November | -0.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 1.6 | ||
December | -0.5 | 0.4 | -0.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 1.7 |
The Consumer Price Index for February 2018 is scheduled to be released Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
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 94 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 75 urban areas across the country from about 5,000 housing units and approximately 22,000 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.
Expenditure category | Indexes | Percent change from | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Historical data | Nov. 2017 | Dec. 2017 | Jan. 2018 | Jan. 2017 | Nov. 2017 | Dec. 2017 | |
All items | 260.630 | 260.791 | 262.188 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | |
All items (December 1977 = 100) | 410.412 | 410.666 | 412.865 | ||||
Food and beverages | 256.073 | 256.487 | 257.764 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | |
Food | 256.209 | 256.764 | 258.097 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | |
Food at home | 245.920 | 246.424 | 247.944 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.6 | |
Cereals and bakery products | 286.389 | 290.452 | 1.4 | ||||
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | 251.499 | 249.705 | -0.7 | ||||
Dairy and related products | 224.869 | 226.407 | 0.7 | ||||
Fruits and vegetables | 309.997 | 315.809 | 1.9 | ||||
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials | 171.841 | 172.791 | 0.6 | ||||
Other food at home | 219.860 | 220.752 | 0.4 | ||||
Food away from home | 275.002 | 275.644 | 276.724 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | |
Alcoholic beverages | 253.128 | 251.711 | 252.312 | 0.4 | -0.3 | 0.2 | |
Housing | 276.736 | 277.693 | 278.690 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | |
Shelter | 343.275 | 344.282 | 345.089 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | |
Rent of primary residence(1) | 346.118 | 346.920 | 347.888 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.3 | |
355.348 | 356.255 | 357.498 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | ||
355.098 | 356.008 | 357.246 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | ||
Fuels and utilities | 220.163 | 223.688 | 227.092 | 5.4 | 3.1 | 1.5 | |
Household energy | 194.829 | 198.709 | 201.972 | 6.0 | 3.7 | 1.6 | |
Energy services(1) | 193.258 | 196.735 | 197.451 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.4 | |
Electricity(1) | 195.921 | 199.636 | 204.167 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 2.3 | |
Utility (piped) gas service(1) | 173.984 | 176.712 | 171.138 | 4.4 | -1.6 | -3.2 | |
Household furnishings and operations | 118.572 | 117.530 | 117.541 | -2.6 | -0.9 | 0.0 | |
Apparel | 129.241 | 124.143 | 127.247 | -2.2 | -1.5 | 2.5 | |
Transportation | 202.467 | 202.378 | 204.271 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.9 | |
Private transportation | 194.728 | 195.138 | 197.240 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 1.1 | |
New and used motor vehicles(3) | 94.744 | 95.752 | 96.192 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 0.5 | |
New vehicles | 144.217 | 145.987 | 146.725 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | |
99.909 | 101.144 | 101.678 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 0.5 | ||
New cars(4) | 133.886 | 135.740 | 136.039 | -0.9 | 1.6 | 0.2 | |
Used cars and trucks | 140.030 | 141.272 | 141.690 | -1.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | |
Motor fuel | 223.902 | 220.329 | 225.970 | 7.7 | 0.9 | 2.6 | |
Gasoline (all types) | 222.946 | 219.332 | 224.858 | 7.6 | 0.9 | 2.5 | |
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4) | 220.589 | 216.786 | 222.439 | 7.7 | 0.8 | 2.6 | |
235.207 | 233.187 | 237.417 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 1.8 | ||
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3) | 230.205 | 227.876 | 232.371 | 6.9 | 0.9 | 2.0 | |
Motor vehicle insurance | 615.509 | 623.148 | 1.2 | ||||
Medical care | 498.864 | 499.765 | 502.715 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | |
Medical care commodities | 387.946 | 388.522 | 392.768 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 | |
Medical care services | 530.627 | 531.627 | 534.166 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | |
Professional services | 377.680 | 378.179 | 380.065 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | |
Recreation(3) | 123.233 | 123.466 | 124.260 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | |
Education and communication(3) | 140.409 | 140.206 | 140.376 | -1.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | |
Tuition, other school fees, and child care | 1,212.279 | 1,212.253 | 0.0 | ||||
Other goods and services | 480.950 | 480.873 | 482.013 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
Commodity and service group | |||||||
Commodities | 187.525 | 186.904 | 188.920 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.1 | |
Commodities less food and beverages | 150.311 | 149.301 | 151.491 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.5 | |
Nondurables less food and beverages | 194.777 | 192.319 | 196.286 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 2.1 | |
Durables | 101.303 | 101.516 | 102.118 | -1.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | |
Services | 331.150 | 332.006 | 332.886 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | |
Special aggregate indexes | |||||||
All items less shelter | 232.203 | 232.054 | 233.681 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | |
All items less medical care | 250.163 | 250.291 | 251.619 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | |
Commodities less food | 154.027 | 153.001 | 155.156 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.4 | |
Nondurables | 225.444 | 224.318 | 227.089 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.2 | |
Nondurables less food | 198.177 | 195.781 | 199.545 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 1.9 | |
Services less rent of shelter(2) | 329.515 | 330.302 | 331.282 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | |
Services less medical care services | 317.401 | 318.247 | 319.013 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | |
Energy | 206.616 | 207.538 | 211.791 | 6.7 | 2.5 | 2.0 | |
All items less energy | 268.806 | 268.892 | 270.000 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
All items less food and energy | 272.756 | 272.764 | 273.844 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
Footnotes | |||||||
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. |
Last Modified Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2018