The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast inched down 0.1 percent in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that this was due to a 2.8-percent decline in the energy index. The all items less food and energy index and the food index increased over the month, up 0.1 and 0.2 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 1.7 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index led the advance, rising 1.8 percent. The food index and the energy index also rose, up 1.7 and 1.1 percent, respectively, since December 2017. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index edged up 0.2 percent since November as prices increased for both food away from home (0.3 percent) and food at home (0.2 percent).

From December 2017 to December 2018, the food index increased 1.7 percent. Prices for both food away from home and food at home increased over the year, up 2.7 and 0.9 percent, respectively.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, declined 2.8 percent in December. Gasoline prices decreased 6.6 percent since November, while prices increased for utility (piped) gas service (3.8 percent) and electricity (0.4 percent).

The energy index advanced 1.1 percent since December 2017. The increase reflected higher prices for utility (piped) gas service, up 4.7 percent. Electricity prices also rose (0.7 percent) over the year, while gasoline prices decreased 0.6 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy inched up 0.1 percent over the month. Higher prices for shelter (0.4 percent) and new and used vehicles (0.8 percent) were moderated by lower apparel prices (-3.3 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.8 percent since December 2017, led by higher prices for shelter, up 2.6 percent. Prices also rose over the year for medical care (2.0 percent) and education and communication (1.3 percent), but were lower for new vehicles (-2.7 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	0.0	2.7
August	-0.3	1.3	-0.2	-0.1	0.1	1.0	0.3	1.6	0.2	2.7
September	0.0	1.2	0.0	-0.1	0.2	1.3	0.5	1.9	0.1	2.2
October	-0.2	1.4	-0.2	-0.1	0.2	1.6	-0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.3
November	-0.4	0.9	0.0	0.3	0.0	1.6	0.0	1.6	-0.4	1.9
December	-0.5	0.4	-0.4	0.5	0.0	1.9	0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.7

Geographic divisions

Additional prices indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U inched down 0.1 percent in the Middle Atlantic division; prices were unchanged in the New England division.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 2.2 percent in the New England division. (See table B.) Prices also rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 1.6 percent.

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

Area	1-month change	12-month change
Northeast	-0.1	1.7
New England Division	0.0	2.2
Middle Atlantic Division	-0.1	1.6

The Consumer Price Index for January 2019 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 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.

The New England division is comprised of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Middle Atlantic division is comprised of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

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	Oct. 2018	Nov. 2018	Dec. 2018	Dec. 2017	Oct. 2018	Nov. 2018
All items		266.464	265.487	265.286	1.7	-0.4	-0.1
All items (December 1977 = 100)		419.600	418.060	417.745
Food and beverages		260.464	260.165	260.652	1.6	0.1	0.2
Food		260.683	260.486	261.088	1.7	0.2	0.2
Food at home		248.743	248.204	248.585	0.9	-0.1	0.2
Cereals and bakery products		288.786	290.822	292.791	2.2	1.4	0.7
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		250.458	250.984	249.562	-0.8	-0.4	-0.6
Dairy and related products		228.682	227.607	228.000	1.4	-0.3	0.2
Fruits and vegetables		313.208	311.019	317.072	2.3	1.2	1.9
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		174.389	172.694	172.071	0.1	-1.3	-0.4
Other food at home		223.396	222.785	221.318	0.7	-0.9	-0.7
Food away from home		281.948	282.244	283.176	2.7	0.4	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		256.375	254.841	253.928	0.9	-1.0	-0.4
Housing		283.911	283.660	284.854	2.6	0.3	0.4
Shelter		352.035	351.890	353.372	2.6	0.4	0.4
Rent of primary residence		353.833	354.649	355.513	2.5	0.5	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		364.549	365.388	366.078	2.8	0.4	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		364.265	365.097	365.781	2.7	0.4	0.2
Fuels and utilities		227.864	228.761	229.456	2.6	0.7	0.3
Household energy		201.897	202.792	203.302	2.3	0.7	0.3
Energy services		196.096	197.834	200.965	2.2	2.5	1.6
Electricity		204.470	200.395	201.123	0.7	-1.6	0.4
Utility (piped) gas service		167.178	178.279	185.096	4.7	10.7	3.8
Household furnishings and operations		120.606	119.170	119.864	2.0	-0.6	0.6
Apparel		134.089	128.267	124.092	0.0	-7.5	-3.3
Transportation		208.570	205.639	202.527	0.1	-2.9	-1.5
Private transportation		201.181	198.184	195.500	0.2	-2.8	-1.4
New and used motor vehicles(2)		94.761	94.811	95.611	-0.1	0.9	0.8
New vehicles		142.613	141.826	142.086	-2.7	-0.4	0.2
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		98.849	98.302	98.487	-2.6	-0.4	0.2
New cars(3)		132.918	131.632	131.357	-3.2	-1.2	-0.2
Used cars and trucks		141.893	143.578	143.692	1.7	1.3	0.1
Motor fuel		248.302	234.717	219.308	-0.5	-11.7	-6.6
Gasoline (all types)		247.148	233.474	218.038	-0.6	-11.8	-6.6
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		244.737	230.811	215.103	-0.8	-12.1	-6.8
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		260.701	248.923	234.590	0.6	-10.0	-5.8
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		253.383	242.038	229.384	0.7	-9.5	-5.2
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		623.094	622.117	622.122	1.1	-0.2	0.0
Medical care		508.049	508.360	509.755	2.0	0.3	0.3
Medical care commodities		390.418	393.018	393.047	1.2	0.7	0.0
Medical care services		541.836	541.442	543.251	2.2	0.3	0.3
Professional services		385.673	383.705	384.184	1.6	-0.4	0.1
Recreation(2)		123.586	124.174	124.041	0.5	0.4	-0.1
Education and communication(2)		142.199	142.042	142.062	1.3	-0.1	0.0
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,242.209	1,244.334	1,246.131	2.8	0.3	0.1
Other goods and services		487.718	488.435	490.191	1.9	0.5	0.4
Commodity and service group
Commodities		192.109	189.817	188.005	0.6	-2.1	-1.0
Commodities less food and beverages		154.689	151.753	149.150	-0.1	-3.6	-1.7
Nondurables less food and beverages		204.047	198.378	192.485	0.1	-5.7	-3.0
Durables		101.471	100.936	101.133	-0.4	-0.3	0.2
Services		338.222	338.384	339.604	2.3	0.4	0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		237.004	235.710	234.884	1.2	-0.9	-0.4
All items less medical care		255.855	254.816	254.542	1.7	-0.5	-0.1
Commodities less food		158.395	155.484	152.917	-0.1	-3.5	-1.7
Nondurables		232.603	229.349	226.335	0.9	-2.7	-1.3
Nondurables less food		207.080	201.662	196.071	0.1	-5.3	-2.8
Services less rent of shelter(1)		335.007	335.509	336.455	1.9	0.4	0.3
Services less medical care services		324.187	324.387	325.567	2.3	0.4	0.4
Energy		221.078	215.922	209.780	1.1	-5.1	-2.8
All items less energy		273.789	273.243	273.668	1.8	0.0	0.2
All items less food and energy		277.855	277.248	277.647	1.8	-0.1	0.1
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. (2) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (5) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.