The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast inched up 0.1 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the recent over-the-month increase was largely due to a 1.6-percent rise in the energy index. The food index also rose since October, up 0.1 percent, while the all items less food and energy index was unchanged. (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 1.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) This was due almost entirely to an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 2.4 percent. The food index also rose, up 2.2 percent since November 2018, while the energy index declined 2.7 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index inched up 0.1 percent since October. Prices were higher for food at home (0.2 percent), while those for food away from home were unchanged.

From November 2018 to November 2019, the food index increased 2.2 percent. Prices for food away from home increased over the year, up 3.0 percent; those for food at home rose 1.5 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, rose 1.6 percent in November, reflecting higher utility (piped) gas service prices, up 5.6 percent. Prices were also higher for electricity (1.9 percent), while those for gasoline were unchanged over the month.

The energy index decreased 2.7 percent since November 2018. The decline reflected lower prices for gasoline (-4.6 percent) and electricity (-0.3 percent), while those for utility (piped) gas service increased (0.4 percent) over the year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged over the month. Lower prices for apparel (-5.2 percent) were offset by increases for shelter (0.2 percent) and medical care (0.3 percent), among others.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.4 percent since November 2018, led by higher prices for shelter and medical care, up 2.5 and 5.6 percent, respectively. Prices also rose over the year for education and communication (3.0 percent) and other goods and services (2.9 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	0.3	1.5
June	0.3	0.0	0.2	0.7	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.6	0.1	1.6
July	-0.1	-0.2	0.0	0.8	-0.2	1.3	0.0	2.7	0.1	1.7
August	-0.2	-0.1	0.1	1.0	0.3	1.6	0.2	2.7	0.1	1.5
September	0.0	-0.1	0.2	1.3	0.5	1.9	0.1	2.2	0.0	1.4
October	-0.2	-0.1	0.2	1.6	-0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.3	-0.1	1.5
November	0.0	0.3	0.0	1.6	0.0	1.6	-0.4	1.9	0.1	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 increased 0.3 percent in the New England division and rose 0.1 percent in the Middle Atlantic 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 1.9 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	1.9
New England Division	0.3	2.2
Middle Atlantic Division	0.1	1.9

The Consumer Price Index for December 2019 is scheduled to be released Tuesday, January 14, 2020, 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	Sep. 2019	Oct. 2019	Nov. 2019	Nov. 2018	Sep. 2019	Oct. 2019
All items		270.563	270.348	270.643	1.9	0.0	0.1
All items (December 1977 = 100)		426.053	425.715	426.181
Food and beverages		264.364	265.226	265.506	2.1	0.4	0.1
Food		264.884	265.790	266.106	2.2	0.5	0.1
Food at home		250.048	251.386	251.867	1.5	0.7	0.2
Cereals and bakery products		296.708	294.753	299.492	3.0	0.9	1.6
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		251.040	252.590	252.509	0.6	0.6	0.0
Dairy and related products		231.171	230.748	231.561	1.7	0.2	0.4
Fruits and vegetables		308.132	318.688	316.866	1.9	2.8	-0.6
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		177.425	177.088	175.343	1.5	-1.2	-1.0
Other food at home		224.071	223.231	224.830	0.9	0.3	0.7
Food away from home		290.422	290.713	290.793	3.0	0.1	0.0
Alcoholic beverages		256.592	256.910	256.753	0.8	0.1	-0.1
Housing		289.142	288.158	289.297	2.0	0.1	0.4
Shelter		361.023	359.999	360.772	2.5	-0.1	0.2
Rent of primary residence		364.306	364.141	365.561	3.1	0.3	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		372.187	372.237	373.820	2.3	0.4	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		371.881	371.941	373.516	2.3	0.4	0.4
Fuels and utilities		223.836	222.250	227.679	-0.5	1.7	2.4
Household energy		196.550	194.836	200.435	-1.2	2.0	2.9
Energy services		194.092	191.649	197.678	-0.1	1.8	3.1
Electricity		201.717	196.035	199.705	-0.3	-1.0	1.9
Utility (piped) gas service		166.552	169.593	179.008	0.4	7.5	5.6
Household furnishings and operations		120.344	119.838	119.253	0.1	-0.9	-0.5
Apparel		133.298	132.042	125.174	-2.4	-6.1	-5.2
Transportation		205.461	204.991	205.488	-0.1	0.0	0.2
Private transportation		197.262	196.710	196.995	-0.6	-0.1	0.1
New and used motor vehicles(2)		95.594	95.380	95.305	0.5	-0.3	-0.1
New vehicles		142.589	142.586	142.643	0.6	0.0	0.0
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		98.833	98.823	98.869	0.6	0.0	0.0
New cars(3)		131.742	132.089	132.003	0.3	0.2	-0.1
Used cars and trucks		144.821	144.517	143.758	0.1	-0.7	-0.5
Motor fuel		225.375	223.918	223.968	-4.6	-0.6	0.0
Gasoline (all types)		224.264	222.797	222.833	-4.6	-0.6	0.0
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		221.232	219.798	219.820	-4.8	-0.6	0.0
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		241.042	239.266	239.249	-3.9	-0.7	0.0
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		236.103	234.466	234.633	-3.1	-0.6	0.1
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		620.671	619.421	624.748	0.4	0.7	0.9
Medical care		531.412	535.250	536.649	5.6	1.0	0.3
Medical care commodities		403.746	401.027	396.928	1.0	-1.7	-1.0
Medical care services		568.174	574.009	577.091	6.6	1.6	0.5
Professional services		398.975	398.920	399.567	4.1	0.1	0.2
Recreation(2)		125.380	125.822	125.770	1.3	0.3	0.0
Education and communication(2)		145.964	145.951	146.347	3.0	0.3	0.3
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,289.058	1,289.693	1,289.786	3.7	0.1	0.0
Other goods and services		502.159	503.443	502.804	2.9	0.1	-0.1
Commodity and service group
Commodities		191.429	191.268	190.262	0.2	-0.6	-0.5
Commodities less food and beverages		152.269	151.720	150.271	-1.0	-1.3	-1.0
Nondurables less food and beverages		198.855	198.011	195.560	-1.4	-1.7	-1.2
Durables		101.433	101.164	100.633	-0.3	-0.8	-0.5
Services		346.636	346.370	347.822	2.8	0.3	0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		239.324	239.408	239.529	1.6	0.1	0.1
All items less medical care		259.075	258.674	258.919	1.6	-0.1	0.1
Commodities less food		156.038	155.511	154.093	-0.9	-1.2	-0.9
Nondurables		231.553	231.488	230.270	0.4	-0.6	-0.5
Nondurables less food		202.215	201.441	199.129	-1.3	-1.5	-1.1
Services less rent of shelter(1)		343.012	343.562	345.780	3.1	0.8	0.6
Services less medical care services		331.370	330.685	332.025	2.4	0.2	0.4
Energy		208.392	206.786	210.061	-2.7	0.8	1.6
All items less energy		279.697	279.627	279.611	2.3	0.0	0.0
All items less food and energy		284.084	283.854	283.784	2.4	-0.1	0.0
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.