The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast inched up 0.1 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the recent increase reflected an increase in the all items less food and energy index, up 0.2 percent since July. The energy index and food index declined over the month, down 0.8 and 0.2 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 1.1 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) This reflected an advance in the all items less food and energy index, up 1.6 percent. The food index also rose, up 3.8 percent, while the energy index fell 9.8 percent since August 2019. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index edged down 0.2 percent since July. Lower prices for food at home, down 0.4 percent, were offset by higher prices for food away from home, up 0.1 percent over the month.

From August 2019 to August 2020, the food index increased 3.8 percent. Prices for food at home increased over the year, up 4.0 percent; those for food away from home also rose, up 3.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, declined 0.8 percent in August, led by a 2.6-percent decrease in electricity prices. Prices were also lower for gasoline (-0.2 percent) while prices were higher for utility (piped) gas service (0.9 percent) over the month.

The energy index decreased 9.8 percent since August 2019. The decrease reflected a drop in prices for gasoline (-18.4 percent). Prices for utility (piped) gas service also decreased over the year, down 3.3 percent, while those for electricity increased 1.7 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.2 percent over the month. The increase was led by higher prices for apparel (3.5 percent) and recreation (1.2 percent) since July.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 1.6 percent since August 2019, led by higher prices for shelter and medical care, up 2.1 and 4.4 percent, respectively. Prices also increased for education and communication, up 2.6 percent over the year.

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	0.0	0.6
June	0.2	0.7	0.0	1.5	0.0	2.6	0.1	1.6	0.3	0.8
July	0.0	0.8	-0.2	1.3	0.0	2.7	0.1	1.7	0.4	1.1
August	0.1	1.0	0.3	1.6	0.2	2.7	0.1	1.5	0.1	1.1
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 in the New England division, up 0.2 percent, while the Middle Atlantic division was unchanged.

Over the year, the all items index increased in the New England division (0.7 percent). (See table B.) Prices rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 1.3 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	0.1	1.1
New England Division	0.2	0.7
Middle Atlantic Division	0.0	1.3

The Consumer Price Index for September 2020 is scheduled to be released Tuesday, October 13, 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	Jun. 2020	Jul. 2020	Aug. 2020	Aug. 2019	Jun. 2020	Jul. 2020
All items		272.283	273.347	273.597	1.1	0.5	0.1
All items (December 1977 = 100)		428.762	430.438	430.831
Food and beverages		275.422	274.510	274.094	3.7	-0.5	-0.2
Food		276.511	275.506	275.002	3.8	-0.5	-0.2
Food at home		263.522	261.877	260.775	4.0	-1.0	-0.4
Cereals and bakery products		318.380	316.387	312.808	3.9	-1.8	-1.1
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		277.864	269.532	266.995	6.4	-3.9	-0.9
Dairy and related products		242.169	237.521	240.498	5.1	-0.7	1.3
Fruits and vegetables		318.167	323.536	322.093	3.7	1.2	-0.4
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials		180.292	179.745	178.804	1.1	-0.8	-0.5
Other food at home		231.093	232.015	231.653	3.0	0.2	-0.2
Food away from home		299.261	299.243	299.666	3.4	0.1	0.1
Alcoholic beverages		260.041	260.391	261.181	2.4	0.4	0.3
Housing		293.283	293.550	293.417	1.7	0.0	0.0
Shelter		367.321	367.962	367.753	2.1	0.1	-0.1
Rent of primary residence		369.973	370.379	370.806	2.1	0.2	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)		380.135	380.755	381.116	2.7	0.3	0.1
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)		379.810	380.423	380.786	2.7	0.3	0.1
Fuels and utilities		223.222	222.193	220.042	-1.8	-1.4	-1.0
Household energy		194.986	193.728	191.319	-2.8	-1.9	-1.2
Energy services		201.147	198.819	195.555	0.5	-2.8	-1.6
Electricity		212.556	210.574	205.000	1.7	-3.6	-2.6
Utility (piped) gas service		164.255	161.440	162.837	-3.3	-0.9	0.9
Household furnishings and operations		120.756	120.699	121.806	1.6	0.9	0.9
Apparel		117.665	117.501	121.598	-5.5	3.3	3.5
Transportation		193.629	197.215	197.217	-5.3	1.9	0.0
Private transportation		188.195	191.958	193.697	-3.3	2.9	0.9
New and used motor vehicles(2)		96.629	97.670	98.838	1.6	2.3	1.2
New vehicles		145.161	145.364	144.638	0.9	-0.4	-0.5
New cars and trucks(2)(3)		100.569	100.738	100.232	0.9	-0.3	-0.5
New cars(3)		135.008	135.118	134.639	1.6	-0.3	-0.4
Used cars and trucks		142.665	147.569	156.307	4.0	9.6	5.9
Motor fuel		184.823	190.439	190.108	-18.4	2.9	-0.2
Gasoline (all types)		183.774	189.428	189.108	-18.4	2.9	-0.2
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)		180.212	185.855	185.523	-19.0	2.9	-0.2
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)		203.737	209.462	209.337	-15.3	2.7	-0.1
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)		201.483	206.943	206.731	-14.5	2.6	-0.1
Motor vehicle insurance(5)		563.674	606.423	620.243	-0.1	10.0	2.3
Medical care		552.744	554.273	551.685	4.4	-0.2	-0.5
Medical care commodities		392.995	392.571	393.671	-3.8	0.2	0.3
Medical care services		599.370	601.504	597.772	6.2	-0.3	-0.6
Professional services		407.393	407.557	407.372	3.6	0.0	0.0
Recreation(2)		128.712	128.781	130.317	2.5	1.2	1.2
Education and communication(2)		146.720	148.820	148.796	2.6	1.4	0.0
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)		1,302.856	1,305.924	1,304.488	2.2	0.1	-0.1
Other goods and services		507.516	511.039	513.366	2.1	1.2	0.5
Commodity and service group
Commodities		188.755	189.329	190.604	-0.8	1.0	0.7
Commodities less food and beverages		144.240	145.387	147.281	-3.8	2.1	1.3
Nondurables less food and beverages		181.757	183.094	185.291	-7.0	1.9	1.2
Durables		100.711	101.585	103.037	0.5	2.3	1.4
Services		352.420	353.955	353.224	2.1	0.2	-0.2
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter		239.426	240.644	241.058	0.6	0.7	0.2
All items less medical care		259.905	260.950	261.327	0.8	0.5	0.1
Commodities less food		148.278	149.411	151.287	-3.5	2.0	1.3
Nondurables		227.792	228.048	228.994	-1.2	0.5	0.4
Nondurables less food		186.349	187.627	189.739	-6.3	1.8	1.1
Services less rent of shelter(1)		348.402	350.931	349.624	2.1	0.4	-0.4
Services less medical care services		335.406	336.899	336.376	1.6	0.3	-0.2
Energy		190.948	192.472	190.904	-9.8	0.0	-0.8
All items less energy		283.159	284.195	284.613	1.9	0.5	0.1
All items less food and energy		286.141	287.546	288.130	1.6	0.7	0.2
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.