The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast decreased 0.4 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the recent over-the-month decline was due to decreases in the all items less food and energy index and energy index, down 0.5 and 6.0 percent, respectively. The food index increased from March to April, up 2.2 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 0.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) This was due largely to an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 1.5 percent. The food index also rose, up 4.5 percent, while the energy index declined 14.1 percent since April 2019. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index advanced 2.2 percent since March. Prices were higher for both food at home and for food away from home, up 3.3 and 0.8 percent, respectively.

From April 2019 to April 2020, the food index increased 4.5 percent. Prices for food at home increased over the year, up 5.0 percent; those for food away from home also rose, up 3.6 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, declined 6.0 percent in April, due largely to an 11.3-percent decline in gasoline prices. Prices were also lower for utility (piped) gas service (-1.1 percent) and electricity (-0.4 percent) over the month.

The energy index decreased 14.1 percent since April 2019. The decrease reflected lower prices for gasoline (-24.4 percent). Prices for utility (piped) gas service and electricity also decreased over the year, down 3.8 and 0.7 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy decreased 0.5 percent over the month. Lower prices for apparel (-5.8 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (-0.5 percent) were offset by higher prices for medical care (0.6 percent) and other goods and services (0.3 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.5 percent since April 2019, led by higher prices for shelter and medical care, up 2.2 and 5.8 percent, respectively. Prices also rose over the year for education and communication (2.9 percent), recreation (2.2 percent), and other goods and services (3.2 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	-0.2	1.7
April	0.6	1.0	0.3	1.9	0.4	2.1	0.4	1.7	-0.4	0.8
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 decreased 0.3 percent in the New England division and 0.5 percent in the Middle Atlantic division.

Over the year, the all items index rose 0.7 percent in the New England division. (See table B.) Prices also rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 0.9 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	-0.4	0.8
New England Division	-0.3	0.7
Middle Atlantic Division	-0.5	0.9

The Consumer Price Index for May 2020 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, June 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	Feb. 2020	Mar. 2020	Apr. 2020	Apr. 2019	Feb. 2020	Mar. 2020
All items		273.080	272.531	271.325	0.8	-0.6	-0.4
All items (December 1977 = 100)		430.018	429.153	427.254
Food and beverages		267.618	268.092	273.573	4.3	2.2	2.0
Food		268.208	268.721	274.617	4.5	2.4	2.2
Food at home		253.418	253.922	262.180	5.0	3.5	3.3
Cereals and bakery products		299.794	298.906	313.438	5.8	4.6	4.9
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		254.913	256.063	268.731	7.5	5.4	4.9
Dairy and related products		236.802	234.361	241.163	5.2	1.8	2.9
Fruits and vegetables		313.377	313.699	320.523	2.3	2.3	2.2
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		178.921	177.412	181.651	4.9	1.5	2.4
Other food at home		226.117	229.146	234.059	4.4	3.5	2.1
Food away from home		293.687	294.219	296.492	3.6	1.0	0.8
Alcoholic beverages		259.053	258.990	258.802	2.0	-0.1	-0.1
Housing		291.976	292.049	291.569	1.3	-0.1	-0.2
Shelter		364.396	365.343	365.383	2.2	0.3	0.0
Rent of primary residence		367.584	368.227	369.142	2.7	0.4	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		376.663	377.615	379.025	2.8	0.6	0.4
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		376.352	377.302	378.705	2.8	0.6	0.4
Fuels and utilities		228.767	224.048	219.796	-4.5	-3.9	-1.9
Household energy		201.073	196.018	191.620	-5.9	-4.7	-2.2
Energy services		200.046	198.364	197.091	-1.6	-1.5	-0.6
Electricity		205.296	203.304	202.391	-0.7	-1.4	-0.4
Utility (piped) gas service		175.007	174.043	172.177	-3.8	-1.6	-1.1
Household furnishings and operations		120.218	120.472	120.596	0.3	0.3	0.1
Apparel		130.779	130.385	122.783	-5.0	-6.1	-5.8
Transportation		205.178	200.823	192.380	-8.0	-6.2	-4.2
Private transportation		196.774	194.453	186.784	-7.3	-5.1	-3.9
New and used motor vehicles(2)		95.935	96.408	95.942	-1.3	0.0	-0.5
New vehicles		145.294	144.375	144.030	-1.0	-0.9	-0.2
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		100.675	100.063	99.818	-1.0	-0.9	-0.2
New cars(3)		135.139	133.994	133.004	-0.5	-1.6	-0.7
Used cars and trucks		143.849	146.882	145.373	-0.8	1.1	-1.0
Motor fuel		216.622	203.111	180.260	-24.3	-16.8	-11.3
Gasoline (all types)		215.507	201.992	179.103	-24.4	-16.9	-11.3
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		212.365	198.608	175.315	-25.2	-17.4	-11.7
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		232.875	221.847	201.686	-19.3	-13.4	-9.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		228.561	217.336	198.540	-18.8	-13.1	-8.6
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		635.676	636.101	568.633	-8.7	-10.5	-10.6
Medical care		544.627	545.933	549.330	5.8	0.9	0.6
Medical care commodities		396.347	393.296	390.261	-3.3	-1.5	-0.8
Medical care services		587.696	590.365	595.764	7.9	1.4	0.9
Professional services		398.861	400.697	401.080	3.9	0.6	0.1
Recreation(2)		127.218	128.309	128.377	2.2	0.9	0.1
Education and communication(2)		147.120	146.924	147.043	2.9	-0.1	0.1
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,300.223	1,301.033	1,301.052	3.8	0.1	0.0
Other goods and services		509.062	509.650	511.241	3.2	0.4	0.3
Commodity and service group
Commodities		191.386	190.212	188.826	-1.6	-1.3	-0.7
Commodities less food and beverages		150.960	149.178	145.084	-5.6	-3.9	-2.7
Nondurables less food and beverages		195.906	191.808	183.337	-8.7	-6.4	-4.4
Durables		101.550	101.562	100.951	-1.5	-0.6	-0.6
Services		351.467	351.513	350.479	2.1	-0.3	-0.3
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		241.550	240.467	238.814	0.1	-1.1	-0.7
All items less medical care		261.105	260.472	259.058	0.4	-0.8	-0.5
Commodities less food		154.832	153.086	149.072	-5.3	-3.7	-2.6
Nondurables		231.403	229.494	227.723	-1.7	-1.6	-0.8
Nondurables less food		199.592	195.736	187.760	-7.9	-5.9	-4.1
Services less rent of shelter(1)		349.535	348.615	346.404	2.0	-0.9	-0.6
Services less medical care services		335.191	335.057	333.579	1.4	-0.5	-0.4
Energy		207.448	198.967	187.095	-14.1	-9.8	-6.0
All items less energy		282.537	282.702	282.453	2.0	0.0	-0.1
All items less food and energy		286.879	286.984	285.641	1.5	-0.4	-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.