The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast rose 0.4 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that this was due to increases in the all items less food and energy index (0.3 percent) and the energy index (2.9 percent). The food index decreased over the month, down 0.4 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 1.7 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 1.3 percent since April 2018, and the energy index inched up 0.1 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index decreased 0.4 percent since March. Prices for food at home were down 0.9 percent, while those for food away from home increased 0.3 percent.

From April 2018 to April 2019, the food index increased 1.3 percent. Prices for both food away from home and food at home increased over the year, up 2.8 and 0.1 percent, respectively.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, increased 2.9 percent in April, due entirely to higher gasoline prices, up 8.1 percent. Prices were lower for utility (piped) gas service (-2.3 percent) and electricity (-0.8 percent).

The energy index inched up 0.1 percent since April 2018. The increase reflected higher prices for electricity, up 1.1 percent, and gasoline, up 0.4 percent. Utility (piped) gas service prices decreased (-2.0 percent) over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.3 percent over the month. Prices were higher for shelter (0.5 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (0.4 percent), among others.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.9 percent since April 2018, led by higher prices for shelter, up 2.7 percent. Prices also rose over the year for medical care (2.8 percent) and education and communication (2.3 percent), among others.

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

Month	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	-0.2	-0.4	0.0	0.7	0.6	2.5	0.5	1.6	0.3	1.5
February	0.2	-0.2	0.2	0.7	0.3	2.6	0.4	1.7	0.2	1.3
March	0.3	-0.4	0.2	0.6	-0.1	2.2	0.1	2.0	0.5	1.7
April	0.1	-0.3	0.6	1.0	0.3	1.9	0.4	2.1	0.4	1.7
May	0.4	-0.3	0.3	0.9	0.1	1.7	0.4	2.5
June	0.3	0.0	0.2	0.7	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.6
July	-0.1	-0.2	0.0	0.8	-0.2	1.3	0.0	2.7
August	-0.2	-0.1	0.1	1.0	0.3	1.6	0.2	2.7
September	0.0	-0.1	0.2	1.3	0.5	1.9	0.1	2.2
October	-0.2	-0.1	0.2	1.6	-0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.3
November	0.0	0.3	0.0	1.6	0.0	1.6	-0.4	1.9
December	-0.4	0.5	0.0	1.9	0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.7

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U rose 0.4 percent each in the New England and Middle Atlantic divisions.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 2.1 percent in the New England division. (See table B.) Prices also rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 1.5 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	0.4	1.7
New England Division	0.4	2.1
Middle Atlantic Division	0.4	1.5

The Consumer Price Index for May 2019 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, June 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 category	Indexes				Percent change from
	Historical data	Feb. 2019	Mar. 2019	Apr. 2019	Apr. 2018	Feb. 2019	Mar. 2019
All items		266.706	268.025	269.070	1.7	0.9	0.4
All items (December 1977 = 100)		419.981	422.058	423.703
Food and beverages		262.304	263.215	262.297	1.2	0.0	-0.3
Food		262.792	263.847	262.882	1.3	0.0	-0.4
Food at home		250.641	251.944	249.654	0.1	-0.4	-0.9
Cereals and bakery products		296.997	299.328	296.249	1.0	-0.3	-1.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		250.074	251.915	250.050	-2.0	0.0	-0.7
Dairy and related products		226.344	225.171	229.310	1.8	1.3	1.8
Fruits and vegetables		317.052	322.627	313.414	0.5	-1.1	-2.9
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		176.845	174.643	173.143	0.3	-2.1	-0.9
Other food at home		224.535	225.782	224.266	0.3	-0.1	-0.7
Food away from home		284.393	285.104	286.052	2.8	0.6	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		254.936	254.083	253.741	0.3	-0.5	-0.1
Housing		286.342	287.121	287.759	2.2	0.5	0.2
Shelter		354.639	355.912	357.567	2.7	0.8	0.5
Rent of primary residence		357.009	357.883	359.580	2.8	0.7	0.5
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		367.145	367.684	368.628	2.4	0.4	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		366.857	367.393	368.336	2.4	0.4	0.3
Fuels and utilities		232.067	232.085	230.184	0.4	-0.8	-0.8
Household energy		205.890	205.762	203.571	-0.2	-1.1	-1.1
Energy services		203.254	202.903	200.281	0.0	-1.5	-1.3
Electricity		206.023	205.339	203.784	1.1	-1.1	-0.8
Utility (piped) gas service		182.939	183.159	178.997	-2.0	-2.2	-2.3
Household furnishings and operations		121.406	121.147	120.260	0.1	-0.9	-0.7
Apparel		129.882	130.492	129.262	-3.0	-0.5	-0.9
Transportation		201.759	204.648	209.063	0.7	3.6	2.2
Private transportation		194.061	197.213	201.571	0.8	3.9	2.2
New and used motor vehicles(2)		96.730	96.759	97.173	0.7	0.5	0.4
New vehicles		145.594	144.836	145.414	0.2	-0.1	0.4
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		100.901	100.376	100.784	0.3	-0.1	0.4
New cars(3)		134.393	133.757	133.681	-0.1	-0.5	-0.1
Used cars and trucks		145.124	146.118	146.485	0.8	0.9	0.3
Motor fuel		207.184	220.378	238.096	0.4	14.9	8.0
Gasoline (all types)		205.908	219.146	236.988	0.4	15.1	8.1
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		202.865	216.378	234.501	0.3	15.6	8.4
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		222.237	233.775	249.767	1.0	12.4	6.8
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		218.805	229.423	244.478	1.1	11.7	6.6
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		623.964	623.412	622.923	0.4	-0.2	-0.1
Medical care		513.713	518.479	519.076	2.8	1.0	0.1
Medical care commodities		392.718	404.465	403.494	3.9	2.7	-0.2
Medical care services		548.506	551.106	552.182	2.6	0.7	0.2
Professional services		385.907	386.581	386.001	1.4	0.0	-0.2
Recreation(2)		124.988	125.130	125.643	1.2	0.5	0.4
Education and communication(2)		142.359	142.681	142.917	2.3	0.4	0.2
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,252.490	1,252.800	1,252.969	3.5	0.0	0.0
Other goods and services		493.249	494.119	495.254	1.5	0.4	0.2
Commodity and service group
Commodities		189.028	190.905	191.946	0.3	1.5	0.5
Commodities less food and beverages		149.871	152.017	153.760	-0.3	2.6	1.1
Nondurables less food and beverages		192.427	197.082	200.751	-0.3	4.3	1.9
Durables		102.388	102.383	102.466	-0.4	0.1	0.1
Services		341.407	342.262	343.333	2.4	0.6	0.3
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		236.372	237.720	238.547	1.1	0.9	0.3
All items less medical care		255.848	257.011	258.078	1.6	0.9	0.4
Commodities less food		153.650	155.720	157.412	-0.3	2.4	1.1
Nondurables		227.067	230.047	231.639	0.5	2.0	0.7
Nondurables less food		196.077	200.399	203.826	-0.2	4.0	1.7
Services less rent of shelter(1)		338.878	339.303	339.773	2.0	0.3	0.1
Services less medical care services		327.132	327.868	328.938	2.3	0.6	0.3
Energy		206.219	211.657	217.787	0.1	5.6	2.9
All items less energy		275.627	276.524	277.041	1.8	0.5	0.2
All items less food and energy		279.662	280.539	281.302	1.9	0.6	0.3
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.