The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast increased 0.3 percent in February, 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 almost entirely to a 0.5-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index. The food index also increased from January to February, inching up 0.1 percent, while the energy index declined, down 2.4 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 2.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) This was due largely to an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 2.6 percent. The food index and energy index also rose, up 2.1 and 0.6 percent, respectively, since February 2019. (See table 1.)

Food

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

From February 2019 to February 2020, the food index increased 2.1 percent. Prices for food away from home increased over the year, up 3.3 percent; those for food at home also rose, up 1.1 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, declined 2.4 percent in February. Prices were lower for gasoline (-3.7 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (-1.2 percent), while those for electricity were unchanged over the month.

The energy index rose 0.6 percent since February 2019. The increase reflected higher prices for gasoline (4.7 percent). Prices for utility (piped) gas service and electricity decreased over the year, down 4.3 and 0.4 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent over the month. Higher prices were led by apparel (5.2 percent) and shelter (0.4 percent), among others. Prices were also higher for medical care and other goods and services (0.4 percent each).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 2.6 percent since February 2019, led by higher prices for shelter and medical care, up 2.8 and 6.0 percent, respectively. Prices also rose over the year for education and communication (3.3 percent), other goods and services (3.2 percent), and recreation (1.8 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	0.3	2.4
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 0.2 percent in the New England division and 0.3 percent in the Middle Atlantic division.

Over the year, the all items index advanced 2.5 percent in the New England division. (See table B.) Prices also rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 2.3 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	0.3	2.4
New England Division	0.2	2.5
Middle Atlantic Division	0.3	2.3

The Consumer Price Index for March 2020 is scheduled to be released Friday, April 10, 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	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020	Feb. 2020	Feb. 2019	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020
All items		270.429	272.316	273.080	2.4	1.0	0.3
All items (December 1977 = 100)		425.844	428.815	430.018
Food and beverages		265.571	267.315	267.618	2.0	0.8	0.1
Food		266.209	268.003	268.208	2.1	0.8	0.1
Food at home		251.134	253.493	253.418	1.1	0.9	0.0
Cereals and bakery products		300.008	300.805	299.794	0.9	-0.1	-0.3
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		253.674	255.132	254.913	1.9	0.5	-0.1
Dairy and related products		231.914	235.243	236.802	4.6	2.1	0.7
Fruits and vegetables		312.132	316.676	313.377	-1.2	0.4	-1.0
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		174.040	176.957	178.921	1.2	2.8	1.1
Other food at home		224.169	225.792	226.117	0.7	0.9	0.1
Food away from home		292.114	293.045	293.687	3.3	0.5	0.2
Alcoholic beverages		256.346	257.401	259.053	1.6	1.1	0.6
Housing		289.370	291.320	291.976	2.0	0.9	0.2
Shelter		360.599	362.949	364.396	2.8	1.1	0.4
Rent of primary residence		366.084	367.151	367.584	3.0	0.4	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		374.302	375.827	376.663	2.6	0.6	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		373.986	375.520	376.352	2.6	0.6	0.2
Fuels and utilities		228.305	231.253	228.767	-1.4	0.2	-1.1
Household energy		200.981	203.988	201.073	-2.3	0.0	-1.4
Energy services		197.669	200.722	200.046	-1.6	1.2	-0.3
Electricity		199.567	205.220	205.296	-0.4	2.9	0.0
Utility (piped) gas service		179.213	177.069	175.007	-4.3	-2.3	-1.2
Household furnishings and operations		119.756	120.048	120.218	-1.0	0.4	0.1
Apparel		118.918	124.311	130.779	0.7	10.0	5.2
Transportation		204.829	205.706	205.178	1.7	0.2	-0.3
Private transportation		197.333	197.770	196.774	1.4	-0.3	-0.5
New and used motor vehicles(2)		95.505	95.483	95.935	-0.8	0.5	0.5
New vehicles		142.726	144.655	145.294	-0.2	1.8	0.4
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		98.926	100.229	100.675	-0.2	1.8	0.4
New cars(3)		131.898	134.340	135.139	0.6	2.5	0.6
Used cars and trucks		143.268	142.295	143.849	-0.9	0.4	1.1
Motor fuel		223.213	225.044	216.622	4.6	-3.0	-3.7
Gasoline (all types)		222.068	223.893	215.507	4.7	-3.0	-3.7
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		219.082	220.991	212.365	4.7	-3.1	-3.9
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		238.347	239.856	232.875	4.8	-2.3	-2.9
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		233.712	234.801	228.561	4.5	-2.2	-2.7
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		629.013	630.155	635.676	1.9	1.1	0.9
Medical care		539.822	542.206	544.627	6.0	0.9	0.4
Medical care commodities		397.493	396.371	396.347	0.9	-0.3	0.0
Medical care services		581.050	584.522	587.696	7.1	1.1	0.5
Professional services		399.880	397.084	398.861	3.4	-0.3	0.4
Recreation(2)		126.481	127.234	127.218	1.8	0.6	0.0
Education and communication(2)		146.595	147.047	147.120	3.3	0.4	0.0
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,291.441	1,293.908	1,300.223	3.8	0.7	0.5
Other goods and services		502.127	506.971	509.062	3.2	1.4	0.4
Commodity and service group
Commodities		189.415	191.117	191.386	1.2	1.0	0.1
Commodities less food and beverages		149.119	150.717	150.960	0.7	1.2	0.2
Nondurables less food and beverages		193.215	196.237	195.906	1.8	1.4	-0.2
Durables		100.516	100.948	101.550	-0.8	1.0	0.6
Services		348.163	350.229	351.467	2.9	0.9	0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		239.298	241.027	241.550	2.2	0.9	0.2
All items less medical care		258.549	260.415	261.105	2.1	1.0	0.3
Commodities less food		152.956	154.550	154.832	0.8	1.2	0.2
Nondurables		229.011	231.429	231.403	1.9	1.0	0.0
Nondurables less food		196.902	199.806	199.592	1.8	1.4	-0.1
Services less rent of shelter(1)		346.682	348.497	349.535	3.1	0.8	0.3
Services less medical care services		332.117	334.087	335.191	2.5	0.9	0.3
Energy		210.063	212.595	207.448	0.6	-1.2	-2.4
All items less energy		279.372	281.225	282.537	2.5	1.1	0.5
All items less food and energy		283.487	285.362	286.879	2.6	1.2	0.5
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.