The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington edged up 0.2 percent from April to June, 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 energy index (2.0 percent). The all items less food and energy index also increased, up 0.1 percent, while the food index declined, edging down 0.2 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 CPI-U increased 1.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The over-the-year rise was led by increases in the energy index (12.0 percent) and the all items less food and energy index (1.1 percent). Prices for food also increased since June 2017, up 0.7 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Following a 0.3-percent increase from February to April, the food index decreased 0.2 percent over the last two months. Prices were lower for both food at home (-0.3 percent) and food away from home (-0.1 percent) since April. Within the food at home component, prices were lower for various items including citrus fruits, while prices were higher for items including snacks and carbonated drinks.

Over the year, the food index increased 0.7 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 1.1 percent, and those for food at home increased 0.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, increased 2.0 percent since April. Higher prices for gasoline (3.8 percent) led the increase. Prices were also higher over the last two months for electricity and utility (piped) gas service, up 1.8 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.

Over the year, the energy index rose 12.0 percent, due almost entirely to a 24.9-percent rise in gasoline prices. Prices were also higher for utility (piped) gas service (5.6 percent), while those for electricity declined 3.3 percent over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched up 0.1 percent from April to June, led by higher prices for new and used motor vehicles (2.2 percent), shelter (0.4 percent), and education and communication (0.7 percent). Lower prices for apparel (-5.2 percent), among others, moderated the increase in the all items less food and energy index since April. 

Since June 2017, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.1 percent. Prices were higher for a number of items including shelter (1.8 percent), new and used motor vehicles (3.2 percent), medical care (1.9 percent), and education and communication (1.6 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	0.2	1.9
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 August 2018 is scheduled to be released Thursday, September 13, 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	Apr. 2018	May 2018	Jun. 2018	Jun. 2017	Apr. 2018	May 2018
All items		251.850		252.386	1.9	0.2
All items (1967 = 100)		727.581		729.129
Food and beverages		233.325		232.867	0.5	-0.2
Food		233.291		232.804	0.7	-0.2
Food at home		237.926	238.483	237.299	0.4	-0.3	-0.5
Cereals and bakery products		299.387		300.000		0.2
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		263.470		263.866		0.2
Dairy and related products		195.646		196.813		0.6
Fruits and vegetables		273.365		266.824		-2.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		155.636		160.480		3.1
Other food at home		219.170		216.334		-1.3
Food away from home		221.480		221.195	1.1	-0.1
Alcoholic beverages		231.353		231.310	-1.7	0.0
Housing		259.140		259.777	1.8	0.2
Shelter		322.141	322.195	323.316	1.8	0.4	0.3
Rent of primary residence(2)		301.497	301.808	302.804	2.5	0.4	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)(3)		330.546	330.759	332.050	1.8	0.5	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)(3)		330.546	330.759	332.050	1.8	0.5	0.4
Fuels and utilities		206.598		207.838	2.4	0.6
Household energy		171.442	171.443	172.026	2.2	0.3	0.3
Energy services(2)		177.739	180.086	180.112	-0.4	1.3	0.0
Electricity(2)		178.420	179.627	181.547	-3.3	1.8	1.1
Utility (piped) gas service(2)		165.512	169.453	166.583	5.6	0.6	-1.7
Household furnishings and operations		115.069		113.486	-0.1	-1.4
Apparel		116.450		110.436	0.1	-5.2
Transportation		214.780		218.416	5.6	1.7
Private transportation		213.750		217.592	6.1	1.8
New and used motor vehicles(4)		95.990		98.127		2.2
New vehicles(1)		176.660		177.920		0.7
Used cars and trucks(1)		257.007		256.560		-0.2
Motor fuel		262.566	272.953	272.570	24.8	3.8	-0.1
Gasoline (all types)		259.110	269.373	268.999	24.9	3.8	-0.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular(5)		256.432	266.403	265.972	25.6	3.7	-0.2
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(5)(6)		261.080	272.995	272.459	21.8	4.4	-0.2
Gasoline, unleaded premium(5)		257.509	268.868	268.983	20.9	4.5	0.0
Motor vehicle insurance(1)		752.183		733.043		-2.5
Medical care		517.504		519.516	1.9	0.4
Recreation(4)		119.380		119.553	-2.7	0.1
Education and communication(4)		130.102		130.990	1.6	0.7
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)		1,028.033		1,031.999		0.4
Other goods and services		547.626		535.731	1.2	-2.2
Commodity and service group
Commodities		182.662		181.531	3.3	-0.6
Commodities less food and beverages		152.986		151.701	4.8	-0.8
Nondurables less food and beverages		201.023		197.765	7.7	-1.6
Durables		101.944		102.402	0.5	0.4
Services		322.656		324.644	1.2	0.6
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		228.944		229.244	1.9	0.1
All items less medical care		240.676		241.147	1.9	0.2
Commodities less food		155.928		154.659	4.6	-0.8
Nondurables		219.798		217.663	4.2	-1.0
Nondurables less food		202.998		199.874	7.1	-1.5
Services less rent of shelter(3)		330.514		333.413	0.6	0.9
Services less medical care services		308.158		310.095	1.2	0.6
Energy		204.613	208.508	208.725	12.0	2.0	0.1
All items less energy		258.914		259.029	1.0	0.0
All items less food and energy		265.848		266.052	1.1	0.1
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.