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News Release Information

19-288-PHI
Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – January 2019

Regional prices increased 0.3 percent over the month; up 1.5 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast edged up 0.3 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that this was due to a 0.5-percent increase in the all items less food and energy index. The food index also increased over the month, up 0.6 percent, while the energy index decreased 2.0 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 1.5 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index led the advance, rising 1.9 percent. The food index also rose, up 1.8 percent since January 2018, while the energy index declined 3.0 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index increased 0.6 percent since December as prices increased for both food at home (0.9 percent) and food away from home (0.2 percent).

From January 2018 to January 2019, the food index increased 1.8 percent. Prices for both food away from home and food at home increased over the year, up 2.6 and 1.2 percent, respectively.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, declined 2.0 percent in January. Gasoline prices decreased 5.9 percent since December, while prices increased for utility (piped) gas service (2.0 percent) and electricity (0.7 percent).

The energy index decreased 3.0 percent since January 2018. The decline reflected lower prices for gasoline, down 8.8 percent. Electricity prices also decreased (-0.8 percent) over the year, while utility (piped) gas service prices advanced 10.3 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.5 percent over the month. Prices were higher for shelter (0.2 percent), new and used motor vehicles (1.0 percent), apparel (2.1 percent), and household furnishings and operations (1.4 percent), among others.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.9 percent since January 2018, led by higher prices for shelter, up 2.7 percent. Prices also rose over the year for medical care (2.0 percent) and household furnishings and operations (3.4 percent), but were lower for new vehicles (-1.8 percent).

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.2-0.40.00.70.62.50.51.60.31.5

February

0.2-0.20.20.70.32.60.41.7

March

0.3-0.40.20.6-0.12.20.12.0

April

0.1-0.30.61.00.31.90.42.1

May

0.4-0.30.30.90.11.70.42.5

June

0.30.00.20.70.01.50.02.6

July

-0.1-0.20.00.8-0.21.30.02.7

August

-0.2-0.10.11.00.31.60.22.7

September

0.0-0.10.21.30.51.90.12.2

October

-0.2-0.10.21.6-0.11.5-0.12.3

November

0.00.30.01.60.01.6-0.41.9

December

-0.40.50.01.90.11.7-0.11.7
Geographic divisions

Additional prices indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U rose 0.5 percent in the New England division, and edged up 0.2 percent in the Middle Atlantic division.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 2.0 percent in the New England division. (See table B.) Prices also rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 1.3 percent.

 Table B. CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, Northeast region and divisions, not seasonally adjusted
Area1-month change12-month change

Northeast

0.31.5

New England Division

0.52.0

Middle Atlantic Division

0.21.3

The Consumer Price Index for February 2019 is scheduled to be released Tuesday, March 12, 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 categoryIndexesPercent change from
Historical
data
Nov.
2018
Dec.
2018
Jan.
2019
Jan.
2018
Nov.
2018
Dec.
2018

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0
265.487265.286266.1091.50.20.3

All items (December 1977 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100AA0
418.060417.745419.040   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF
260.165260.652262.2541.70.80.6

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF1
260.486261.088262.7571.80.90.6

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF11
248.204248.585250.9461.21.10.9

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF111
290.822292.791296.5362.12.01.3

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF112
250.984249.562252.5421.10.61.2

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFJ
227.607228.000229.9341.61.00.8

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF113
311.019317.072317.5100.52.10.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF114
172.694172.071176.1521.92.02.4

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF115
222.785221.318222.4010.7-0.20.5

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFV
282.244283.176283.8662.60.60.2

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF116
254.841253.928254.6970.9-0.10.3

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH
283.660284.854286.0062.60.80.4

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH1
351.890353.372354.2362.70.70.2

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHA
354.649355.513356.3352.40.50.2

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC
365.388366.078366.6212.60.30.1

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC01
365.097365.781366.3252.50.30.1

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH2
228.761229.456231.2931.81.10.8

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH21
202.792203.302205.2301.61.20.9

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF
197.834200.965203.2442.92.71.1

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF01
200.395201.123202.479-0.81.00.7

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF02
178.279185.096188.70610.35.82.0

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH3
119.170119.864121.5773.42.01.4

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAA
128.267124.092126.648-0.5-1.32.1

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT
205.639202.527200.914-1.6-2.3-0.8

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT1
198.184195.500193.595-1.8-2.3-1.0

New and used motor vehicles(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA
94.81195.61196.5980.41.91.0

New vehicles

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA01
141.826142.086144.093-1.81.61.4

New cars and trucks(2)(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS4501A
98.30298.48799.883-1.81.61.4

New cars(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS45011
131.632131.357132.910-2.31.01.2

Used cars and trucks

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA02
143.578143.692144.4521.90.60.5

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB
234.717219.308206.413-8.7-12.1-5.9

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB01
233.474218.038205.140-8.8-12.1-5.9

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47014
230.811215.103202.043-9.2-12.5-6.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47015
248.923234.590222.149-6.4-10.8-5.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47016
242.038229.384218.398-6.0-9.8-4.8

Motor vehicle insurance(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETE
622.117622.122622.423-0.10.00.0

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM
508.360509.755512.6672.00.80.6

Medical care commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM1
393.018393.047392.5910.0-0.1-0.1

Medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM2
541.442543.251547.1842.41.10.7

Professional services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEMC
383.705384.184385.3471.40.40.3

Recreation(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAR
124.174124.041124.6760.30.40.5

Education and communication(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAE
142.042142.062142.3891.40.20.2

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEEB
1,244.3341,246.1311,249.0353.00.40.2

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAG
488.435490.191492.0722.10.70.4

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAC
189.817188.005188.382-0.3-0.80.2

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL11
151.753149.150149.030-1.6-1.8-0.1

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL11
198.378192.485190.795-2.8-3.8-0.9

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAD
100.936101.133102.2410.11.31.1

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAS
338.384339.604340.8392.40.70.4

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L2
235.710234.884235.6980.90.00.3

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L5
254.816254.542255.2701.50.20.3

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL1
155.484152.917152.822-1.5-1.7-0.1

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAN
229.349226.335226.147-0.4-1.4-0.1

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL1
201.662196.071194.529-2.5-3.5-0.8

Services less rent of shelter(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL2RS
335.509336.455338.1132.10.80.5

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL5
324.387325.567326.6172.40.70.3

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0E
215.922209.780205.512-3.0-4.8-2.0

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0LE
273.243273.668275.0351.90.70.5

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L1E
277.248277.647278.9751.90.60.5

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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, February 13, 2019