The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington increased 0.9 percent from February to April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Sheila Watkins noted that the recent advance was led by an increase in the all items less food and energy index (0.9 percent). The energy index and food index also increased, up 2.2 percent and 0.3 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 CPI-U increased 1.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The over-the-year rise was led by increases in the all items less food and energy index (1.0 percent) and the energy index (7.9 percent). Prices for food declined since April 2017, down 0.2 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Following a 0.6-percent decline from December to February, the food index increased 0.3 percent over the last two months. Prices were higher for both food at home (0.4 percent) and food away from home (0.2 percent) since February. Within the food at home component, prices were higher for various items including frozen and freeze dried prepared foods, eggs, and lettuce, while prices were lower for items including tomatoes and apples.

Over the year, the food index decreased 0.2 percent. Prices for food at home declined 1.4 percent, while those for food away from home increased 1.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, increased 2.2 percent since February. Higher prices for gasoline (4.4 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (1.6 percent) were moderated by lower prices for electricity, down 1.9 percent over the last two months.

Over the year, the energy index rose 7.9 percent, led by a 15.6-percent advance in gasoline prices. Prices were also higher for utility (piped) gas service (4.8 percent), while those for electricity declined 3.8 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.9 percent from February to April, led by higher prices for shelter (0.6 percent) and household furnishings and operations (4.4 percent). Lower prices for medical care (-0.2 percent), among others, moderated the increase in the all items less food and energy index since February.

Since April 2017, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.0 percent. Prices were higher for a number of items including shelter (1.5 percent), medical care (1.9 percent), and other goods and services (3.4 percent).

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

Month	2014		2015		2016		2017		2018
	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month
February	0.5	1.0	-0.2	-0.1	0.3	0.3	0.7	2.1	0.4	0.5
April	0.5	1.4	0.5	0.0	0.9	0.6	0.0	1.3	0.9	1.4
June	0.6	1.8	0.8	0.2	0.3	0.1	-0.3	0.7
August	0.0	1.3	-0.5	-0.3	-0.2	0.4	0.5	1.4
October	-0.1	1.6	-0.3	-0.5	0.6	1.3	0.0	0.8
December	-0.8	0.6	-0.6	-0.2	-0.1	1.7	-0.1	0.8

The Consumer Price Index for June 2018 is scheduled to be released Thursday, July 12, 2018 at 8:30 am (ET).

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 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 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Core Based Statistical Area includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Burlington, Camden, 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-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	Feb. 2018	Mar. 2018	Apr. 2018	Apr. 2017	Feb. 2018	Mar. 2018
All items		249.567		251.850	1.4	0.9
All items (1967 = 100)		720.985		727.581
Food and beverages		232.677		233.325	-0.3	0.3
Food		232.563		233.291	-0.2	0.3
Food at home		236.928	236.902	237.926	-1.4	0.4	0.4
Cereals and bakery products		295.321		299.387		1.4
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		261.061		263.470		0.9
Dairy and related products		198.142		195.646		-1.3
Fruits and vegetables		275.316		273.365		-0.7
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		151.651		155.636		2.6
Other food at home		219.330		219.170		-0.1
Food away from home		221.136		221.480	1.4	0.2
Alcoholic beverages		231.852		231.353	-0.4	-0.2
Housing		256.783		259.140	1.5	0.9
Shelter		320.080	320.656	322.141	1.5	0.6	0.5
Rent of primary residence(2)		299.129	299.213	301.497	2.5	0.8	0.8
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)(3)		328.600	328.956	330.546	1.4	0.6	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)(3)		328.600	328.956	330.546	1.4	0.6	0.5
Fuels and utilities		205.787		206.598	2.0	0.4
Household energy		170.917	172.010	171.442	1.7	0.3	-0.3
Energy services(2)		178.819	179.204	177.739	-0.9	-0.6	-0.8
Electricity(2)		181.906	178.256	178.420	-3.8	-1.9	0.1
Utility (piped) gas service(2)		162.846	169.373	165.512	4.8	1.6	-2.3
Household furnishings and operations		110.267		115.069	0.8	4.4
Apparel		113.272		116.450	2.9	2.8
Transportation		210.997		214.780	3.2	1.8
Private transportation		209.993		213.750	3.6	1.8
New and used motor vehicles(4)		94.777		95.990		1.3
New vehicles(1)		175.204		176.660		0.8
Used cars and trucks(1)		253.046		257.007		1.6
Motor fuel		251.700	242.238	262.566	15.5	4.3	8.4
Gasoline (all types)		248.183	238.838	259.110	15.6	4.4	8.5
Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)		245.207	235.740	256.432	16.1	4.6	8.8
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)		250.764	243.110	261.080	12.8	4.1	7.4
Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)		249.702	241.816	257.509	12.7	3.1	6.5
Motor vehicle insurance(1)		752.183		752.183		0.0
Medical care		518.615		517.504	1.9	-0.2
Recreation(4)		117.524		119.380	-3.0	1.6
Education and communication(4)		130.157		130.102	0.9	0.0
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)		1,029.802		1,028.033		-0.2
Other goods and services		538.065		547.626	3.4	1.8
Commodity and service group
Commodities		179.502		182.662	2.9	1.8
Commodities less food and beverages		149.179		152.986	4.5	2.6
Nondurables less food and beverages		195.126		201.023	7.3	3.0
Durables		100.157		101.944	0.3	1.8
Services		321.019		322.656	0.7	0.5
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		226.539		228.944	1.3	1.1
All items less medical care		238.233		240.676	1.3	1.0
Commodities less food		152.184		155.928	4.4	2.5
Nondurables		216.011		219.798	3.7	1.8
Nondurables less food		197.370		202.998	6.9	2.9
Services less rent of shelter(3)		329.325		330.514	0.0	0.4
Services less medical care services		306.405		308.158	0.7	0.6
Energy		200.215	197.345	204.613	7.9	2.2	3.7
All items less energy		256.869		258.914	0.8	0.8
All items less food and energy		263.583		265.848	1.0	0.9
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base (2) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator. (3) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (4) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (5) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (6) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.