The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast was unchanged in June, 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 were both unchanged over the month, while the food index inched up 0.1 percent. (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 2.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index led the advance, rising 1.7 percent. The energy index and the food index also rose, up 13.1 and 1.9 percent, respectively, since June 2017. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index inched up 0.1 percent since May as prices for food away from home also increased 0.1 percent. Food at home prices were unchanged.

From June 2017 to June 2018, the food index increased 1.9 percent. Prices for both food away from home and food at home increased over the year, up 3.0 and 1.0 percent, respectively.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, was unchanged in June. Higher prices for gasoline, up 0.5 percent, were offset by lower prices for utility (piped) gas service (-1.0 percent) and electricity (-0.2 percent).

The energy index advanced 13.1 percent since June 2017. The increase reflected higher prices for gasoline, up 23.6 percent. Prices also increased over the year for electricity (2.2 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (4.3 percent).

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged over the month. Higher prices for new and used motor vehicles (1.0 percent) and shelter (0.2 percent), among others, were offset by lower prices for apparel (-4.2 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.7 percent since June 2017, led by higher prices for shelter, up 2.8 percent. Prices also rose over the year for medical care (2.3 percent), but were lower for household furnishings and operations (-2.0 percent).

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

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	0.4	1.7
March	0.5	1.5	0.3	-0.4	0.2	0.6	-0.1	2.2	0.1	2.0
April	0.0	1.6	0.1	-0.3	0.6	1.0	0.3	1.9	0.4	2.1
May	0.4	2.0	0.4	-0.3	0.3	0.9	0.1	1.7	0.4	2.5
June	0.0	1.9	0.3	0.0	0.2	0.7	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.6
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 July 2018 is scheduled to be released Friday, August 10, 2018, 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 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 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.

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 category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	Apr. 2018	May 2018	Jun. 2018	Jun. 2017	Apr. 2018	May 2018
All items		264.669	265.840	265.950	2.6	0.5	0.0
All items (December 1977 = 100)		416.772	418.617	418.790
Food and beverages		259.235	259.256	259.463	1.8	0.1	0.1
Food		259.625	259.594	259.751	1.9	0.0	0.1
Food at home		249.436	248.220	248.297	1.0	-0.5	0.0
Cereals and bakery products		293.366	291.749	294.591		0.4	1.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		255.219	250.683	250.865		-1.7	0.1
Dairy and related products		225.197	224.775	226.589		0.6	0.8
Fruits and vegetables		311.887	312.553	309.281		-0.8	-1.0
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		172.571	172.688	173.388		0.5	0.4
Other food at home		223.498	223.088	222.496		-0.4	-0.3
Food away from home		278.327	280.017	280.296	3.0	0.7	0.1
Alcoholic beverages		253.071	253.731	254.531	0.8	0.6	0.3
Housing		281.574	282.848	282.981	2.7	0.5	0.0
Shelter		348.276	349.926	350.467	2.8	0.6	0.2
Rent of primary residence(1)		349.889	350.585	350.756	2.4	0.2	0.0
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)		359.918	360.764	361.602	2.7	0.5	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)		359.669	360.510	361.343	2.7	0.5	0.2
Fuels and utilities		229.335	230.903	230.698	5.1	0.6	-0.1
Household energy		203.994	205.573	204.835	5.4	0.4	-0.4
Energy services(1)		200.253	202.578	201.668	2.4	0.7	-0.4
Electricity(1)		201.559	209.697	209.370	2.2	3.9	-0.2
Utility (piped) gas service(1)		182.562	175.207	173.417	4.3	-5.0	-1.0
Household furnishings and operations		120.108	120.029	119.058	-2.0	-0.9	-0.8
Apparel		133.247	133.571	127.969	-1.3	-4.0	-4.2
Transportation		207.639	210.975	211.842	5.6	2.0	0.4
Private transportation		199.980	202.964	203.986	6.7	2.0	0.5
New and used motor vehicles(3)		96.514	95.995	96.919	0.8	0.4	1.0
New vehicles		145.056	144.405	144.753	-0.2	-0.2	0.2
New cars and trucks(3)(4)		100.527	100.073	100.311	-0.2	-0.2	0.2
New cars(4)		133.868	133.281	134.122	-0.8	0.2	0.6
Used cars and trucks		145.294	144.337	144.905	-0.6	-0.3	0.4
Motor fuel		237.081	252.165	253.434	23.6	6.9	0.5
Gasoline (all types)		236.049	251.143	252.382	23.6	6.9	0.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)		233.807	249.078	250.155	24.1	7.0	0.4
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		247.333	262.082	264.991	21.5	7.1	1.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)		241.824	254.886	257.071	19.6	6.3	0.9
Motor vehicle insurance(6)		620.681	620.681	617.184		-0.6	-0.6
Medical care		504.859	504.921	504.804	2.3	0.0	0.0
Medical care commodities		388.475	391.666	391.864	1.2	0.9	0.1
Medical care services		538.277	537.377	537.165	2.6	-0.2	0.0
Professional services		380.487	379.266	380.169	0.8	-0.1	0.2
Recreation(3)		124.184	123.315	124.030	0.0	-0.1	0.6
Education and communication(3)		139.679	140.123	140.936	1.0	0.9	0.6
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)		1,210.467	1,210.763	1,218.826		0.7	0.7
Other goods and services		488.167	489.364	489.340	2.5	0.2	0.0
Commodity and service group
Commodities		191.390	192.327	191.708	2.8	0.2	-0.3
Commodities less food and beverages		154.209	155.449	154.544	3.5	0.2	-0.6
Nondurables less food and beverages		201.256	204.723	202.521	6.7	0.6	-1.1
Durables		102.828	102.223	102.410	-1.0	-0.4	0.2
Services		335.433	336.839	337.595	2.4	0.6	0.2
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		235.922	236.926	236.876	2.4	0.4	0.0
All items less medical care		254.120	255.345	255.465	2.6	0.5	0.0
Commodities less food		157.831	159.061	158.200	3.4	0.2	-0.5
Nondurables		230.501	232.416	231.301	4.1	0.3	-0.5
Nondurables less food		204.260	207.557	205.535	6.2	0.6	-1.0
Services less rent of shelter(2)		333.226	334.401	335.405	1.9	0.7	0.3
Services less medical care services		321.452	323.016	323.838	2.4	0.7	0.3
Energy		217.608	224.829	224.930	13.1	3.4	0.0
All items less energy		272.153	272.698	272.809	1.7	0.2	0.0
All items less food and energy		276.113	276.756	276.860	1.7	0.3	0.0
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. (6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.