The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast increased 0.7 percent in January, 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 due largely to a 0.7-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index. The food index and energy index increased from December to January, up 0.7 and 1.2 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 2.3 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) This was due largely to an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 2.3 percent. The food index and energy index also rose, up 2.0 and 3.4 percent, respectively, since January 2019. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index rose 0.7 percent since December. Prices were higher for both food at home (0.9 percent) and food away from home (0.3 percent).

From January 2019 to January 2020, the food index increased 2.0 percent. Prices for food away from home increased over the year, up 3.2 percent; those for food at home also rose, up 1.0 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, increased 1.2 percent in January. Higher prices for electricity (2.8 percent) and gasoline (0.8 percent) were moderated by lower prices for utility (piped) gas service (-1.2 percent).

The energy index advanced 3.4 percent since January 2019. The increase reflected higher prices for gasoline (9.1 percent). Prices for electricity also increased over the year, up 1.4 percent, while those for utility (piped) gas service decreased, down 6.2 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.7 percent over the month. Higher prices were led by shelter (0.7 percent) and apparel (4.5 percent). Other one-month price increases included medical care (0.4 percent), recreation (0.6 percent), and other goods and services (1.0 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.3 percent since January 2019, led by higher prices for shelter and medical care, up 2.5 and 5.8 percent, respectively. Prices also rose over the year for education and communication (3.3 percent) and recreation (2.1 percent).

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

Month	2016		2017		2018		2019		2020
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	0.0	0.7	0.6	2.5	0.5	1.6	0.3	1.5	0.7	2.3
February	0.2	0.7	0.3	2.6	0.4	1.7	0.2	1.3
March	0.2	0.6	-0.1	2.2	0.1	2.0	0.5	1.7
April	0.6	1.0	0.3	1.9	0.4	2.1	0.4	1.7
May	0.3	0.9	0.1	1.7	0.4	2.5	0.3	1.5
June	0.2	0.7	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.6	0.1	1.6
July	0.0	0.8	-0.2	1.3	0.0	2.7	0.1	1.7
August	0.1	1.0	0.3	1.6	0.2	2.7	0.1	1.5
September	0.2	1.3	0.5	1.9	0.1	2.2	0.0	1.4
October	0.2	1.6	-0.1	1.5	-0.1	2.3	-0.1	1.5
November	0.0	1.6	0.0	1.6	-0.4	1.9	0.1	1.9
December	0.0	1.9	0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.7	-0.1	1.9

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U increased 0.7 percent in both the New England division and 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 2.4 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	0.7	2.3
New England Division	0.7	2.2
Middle Atlantic Division	0.7	2.4

The Consumer Price Index for February 2020 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, March 11, 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	Nov. 2019	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020	Jan. 2019	Nov. 2019	Dec. 2019
All items		270.643	270.429	272.316	2.3	0.6	0.7
All items (December 1977 = 100)		426.181	425.844	428.815
Food and beverages		265.506	265.571	267.315	1.9	0.7	0.7
Food		266.106	266.209	268.003	2.0	0.7	0.7
Food at home		251.867	251.134	253.493	1.0	0.6	0.9
Cereals and bakery products		299.492	300.008	300.805	1.4	0.4	0.3
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		252.509	253.674	255.132	1.0	1.0	0.6
Dairy and related products		231.561	231.914	235.243	2.3	1.6	1.4
Fruits and vegetables		316.866	312.132	316.676	-0.3	-0.1	1.5
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		175.343	174.040	176.957	0.5	0.9	1.7
Other food at home		224.830	224.169	225.792	1.5	0.4	0.7
Food away from home		290.793	292.114	293.045	3.2	0.8	0.3
Alcoholic beverages		256.753	256.346	257.401	1.1	0.3	0.4
Housing		289.297	289.370	291.320	1.9	0.7	0.7
Shelter		360.772	360.599	362.949	2.5	0.6	0.7
Rent of primary residence		365.561	366.084	367.151	3.0	0.4	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		373.820	374.302	375.827	2.5	0.5	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		373.516	373.986	375.520	2.5	0.5	0.4
Fuels and utilities		227.679	228.305	231.253	0.0	1.6	1.3
Household energy		200.435	200.981	203.988	-0.6	1.8	1.5
Energy services		197.678	197.669	200.722	-1.2	1.5	1.5
Electricity		199.705	199.567	205.220	1.4	2.8	2.8
Utility (piped) gas service		179.008	179.213	177.069	-6.2	-1.1	-1.2
Household furnishings and operations		119.253	119.756	120.048	-1.3	0.7	0.2
Apparel		125.174	118.918	124.311	-1.8	-0.7	4.5
Transportation		205.488	204.829	205.706	2.4	0.1	0.4
Private transportation		196.995	197.333	197.770	2.2	0.4	0.2
New and used motor vehicles(2)		95.305	95.505	95.483	-1.2	0.2	0.0
New vehicles		142.643	142.726	144.655	0.4	1.4	1.4
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		98.869	98.926	100.229	0.3	1.4	1.3
New cars(3)		132.003	131.898	134.340	1.1	1.8	1.9
Used cars and trucks		143.758	143.268	142.295	-1.5	-1.0	-0.7
Motor fuel		223.968	223.213	225.044	9.0	0.5	0.8
Gasoline (all types)		222.833	222.068	223.893	9.1	0.5	0.8
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		219.820	219.082	220.991	9.4	0.5	0.9
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		239.249	238.347	239.856	8.0	0.3	0.6
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		234.633	233.712	234.801	7.5	0.1	0.5
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		624.748	629.013	630.155	1.2	0.9	0.2
Medical care		536.649	539.822	542.206	5.8	1.0	0.4
Medical care commodities		396.928	397.493	396.371	1.0	-0.1	-0.3
Medical care services		577.091	581.050	584.522	6.8	1.3	0.6
Professional services		399.567	399.880	397.084	3.0	-0.6	-0.7
Recreation(2)		125.770	126.481	127.234	2.1	1.2	0.6
Education and communication(2)		146.347	146.595	147.047	3.3	0.5	0.3
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,289.786	1,291.441	1,293.908	3.6	0.3	0.2
Other goods and services		502.804	502.127	506.971	3.0	0.8	1.0
Commodity and service group
Commodities		190.262	189.415	191.117	1.5	0.4	0.9
Commodities less food and beverages		150.271	149.119	150.717	1.1	0.3	1.1
Nondurables less food and beverages		195.560	193.215	196.237	2.9	0.3	1.6
Durables		100.633	100.516	100.948	-1.3	0.3	0.4
Services		347.822	348.163	350.229	2.8	0.7	0.6
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		239.529	239.298	241.027	2.3	0.6	0.7
All items less medical care		258.919	258.549	260.415	2.0	0.6	0.7
Commodities less food		154.093	152.956	154.550	1.1	0.3	1.0
Nondurables		230.270	229.011	231.429	2.3	0.5	1.1
Nondurables less food		199.129	196.902	199.806	2.7	0.3	1.5
Services less rent of shelter(1)		345.780	346.682	348.497	3.1	0.8	0.5
Services less medical care services		332.025	332.117	334.087	2.3	0.6	0.6
Energy		210.061	210.063	212.595	3.4	1.2	1.2
All items less energy		279.611	279.372	281.225	2.3	0.6	0.7
All items less food and energy		283.784	283.487	285.362	2.3	0.6	0.7
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.