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News Release Information

21-1670-PHI
Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – August 2021

Regional prices up 0.1 percent over the month; up 4.4 percent over the year

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. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the recent increase was due to generally modest increases in the food index and the energy index, up 0.6 and 1.1 percent, respectively. The all items less food and energy index was unchanged since July 2021; that major group, as well as the food group, showed a divide with some components increasing while others had marked declines. (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 rose 4.4 percent, in line with the 4.6 increase in June. (See chart 1 and table A.) The August increase was due almost entirely to the rise in the all items less food and energy index, up 3.2 percent. The energy index and the food index also rose since August 2020, up 23.3 and 3.2 percent, respectively. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index increased 0.6 percent since July. Prices were higher for both food at home, up 0.5 percent, and food away from home, up 0.7 percent over the month, although the food at home increase showed a slowing compared with April/June while the food away from home index accelerated over the same period. Within the food at home component, prices were higher for items including uncooked ground beef, potatoes, and frozen fruits and vegetables while prices declined for the overall dairy and fruits and vegetables indexes.

From August 2020 to August 2021, the food index increased 3.2 percent. Prices for food away from home increased over the year, up 4.6 percent – the largest such increase since February 2009; those for food at home increased 2.2 percent.

Energy

The energy index, which includes prices for household and transportation fuels, rose 1.1 percent in August. The increase was largely due to higher prices for electricity (1.7 percent) and gasoline (1.0 percent). Prices were also higher for utility (piped) gas service (2.1 percent) over the month.

The energy index rose 23.3 percent since August 2020. The increase was due largely to a rise in prices for gasoline, up 41.2 percent, about the same as June’s 40.9 percent. Prices for electricity and utility (piped) gas service also advanced over the year, up 6.8 (the highest since early 2014) and 13.9 percent (the largest 12-month increase since February 2017), respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was unchanged since July. Higher prices for apparel (3.6 percent) and education and communication (0.6 percent) were offset by lower prices for shelter (-0.3 percent), public transportation, and used cars and trucks (-1.3 percent) among others.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 3.2 percent since August 2020. Prices were higher for apparel (up 3.6 percent) over the year and for new and used motor vehicles (16.0 percent), particularly those for used cars and trucks (32.8 percent). Prices also increased for shelter (2.0 percent), among other categories, while medical care prices declined, down 0.5 percent.

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20172018201920202021
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.62.50.51.60.31.50.72.30.41.1

February

0.32.60.41.70.21.30.32.40.41.2

March

-0.12.20.12.00.51.7-021.70.62.1

April

0.31.90.42.10.41.7-0.40.80.73.3

May

0.11.70.42.50.31.50.00.60.63.9

June

0.01.50.02.60.11.60.30.81.04.6

July

-0.21.30.02.70.11.70.41.10.24.3

August

0.31.60.22.70.11.50.11.10.14.4

September

0.51.90.12.20.01.40.11.2

October

-0.11.5-0.12.3-0.11.5-0.21.1

November

0.01.6-0.41.90.11.90.11.1

December

0.11.7-0.11.7-0.11.90.21.4
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, and the Middle Atlantic division, up 0.1 percent.

Over the year, prices rose in the Middle Atlantic division, up 4.5 percent. The all items index also rose in the New England division (4.1 percent). (See table B.)

 Table B. CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, Northeast region and divisions, not seasonally adjusted
Area1-month change12-month change

Northeast

0.14.4

New England Division

0.24.1

Middle Atlantic Division

0.14.5

The Consumer Price Index for September 2021 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on August 2021 Consumer Price Index Data

Data collection by personal visit for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program has been suspended since March 16, 2020. When possible, data normally collected by personal visit were collected either online or by phone. Additionally, data collection in August was affected by the temporary closing or limited operations of certain types of establishments. These factors resulted in an increase in the number of prices considered temporarily unavailable and imputed.

While the CPI program attempted to collect as much data as possible, many indexes are based on smaller amounts of collected prices than usual, and a small number of indexes that are normally published were not published this month. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-consumer-price-index.htm.


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 U.S. population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 percent of the total U.S. 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 6,000 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; for most of the CPI-U the reference base is 1982-84 equals 100. An increase of 7 percent from the reference base, for example, is shown as 107.000. Alternatively, that relationship can also be expressed as the price of a base period market basket of goods and services rising from $100 to $107. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the CPI section of the BLS Handbook of Methods available on the internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

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 individuals with sensory impairments 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 categoryIndexesPercent change from
Historical
data
Jun.
2021
Jul.
2021
Aug.
2021
Aug.
2020
Jun.
2021
Jul.
2021

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0
284.741285.220285.6304.40.30.1

All items (December 1977 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100AA0
448.380449.135449.780   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF
280.344281.387282.9613.20.90.6

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF1
281.235282.295283.9193.21.00.6

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF11
264.804265.218266.5632.20.70.5

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF111
311.423311.674315.2970.81.21.2

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF112
279.493282.667284.1856.41.70.5

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFJ
241.121238.850237.133-1.4-1.7-0.7

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF113
327.151323.565323.2680.4-1.2-0.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF114
180.734180.452182.8022.21.11.3

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF115
232.778234.659236.3272.01.50.7

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFV
309.388311.464313.5364.61.30.7

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF116
267.640268.452269.3513.10.60.3

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH
302.584303.139302.8693.20.1-0.1

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH1
375.342376.327375.1282.0-0.1-0.3

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHA
374.726374.519375.4191.20.20.2

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC
386.046386.814387.3531.60.30.1

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC01
385.713386.478387.0181.60.30.1

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH2
240.778239.796242.37710.20.71.1

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH21
211.595210.453213.10311.40.71.3

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF
210.822209.217212.9758.91.01.8

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF01
219.525215.374218.9716.8-0.31.7

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF02
178.375181.757185.53813.94.02.1

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH3
128.661128.856129.5556.40.70.5

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAA
124.080122.306126.7704.32.23.6

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT
231.271230.214229.11516.2-0.9-0.5

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT1
226.435226.236226.95817.20.20.3

New and used motor vehicles(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA
116.471115.034114.68816.0-1.5-0.3

New vehicles

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA01
151.770152.527154.5216.81.81.3

New cars and trucks(2)(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS4501A
105.221105.721107.1126.91.81.3

New cars(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS45011
141.661142.862144.9017.62.31.4

Used cars and trucks

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA02
208.303210.163207.50132.8-0.4-1.3

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB
259.857265.259267.92040.93.11.0

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB01
258.909264.305266.96741.23.11.0

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47014
256.252261.690264.31242.53.11.0

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47015
274.820280.232283.32935.33.11.1

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47016
266.320271.233274.02532.62.91.0

Motor vehicle insurance(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETE
612.063612.211615.703-0.70.60.6

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM
546.769548.685549.119-0.50.40.1

Medical care commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM1
378.829381.269379.075-3.70.1-0.6

Medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM2
596.012597.750599.0100.20.50.2

Professional services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEMC
418.971421.041421.8143.50.70.2

Recreation(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAR
130.720131.624131.5601.00.60.0

Education and communication(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAE
150.022150.709151.6721.91.10.6

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEEB
1,318.7371,322.9941,336.2472.41.31.0

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAG
519.842526.208529.8423.21.90.7

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAC
204.080205.055206.4798.31.20.7

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL11
163.004163.903165.19412.21.30.8

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL11
202.858204.001206.54911.51.81.2

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAD
115.538116.158116.43513.00.80.2

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAS
362.155362.161361.6032.4-0.2-0.2

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L2
253.507253.808254.7915.70.50.4

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L5
273.206273.621274.0304.90.30.1

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL1
166.858167.760169.04911.71.30.8

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAN
241.174242.274244.3636.71.30.9

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL1
206.640207.763210.21210.81.71.2

Services less rent of shelter(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL2RS
360.217359.172359.2892.8-0.30.0

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL5
346.043345.929345.2462.6-0.2-0.2

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0E
231.222232.729235.38523.31.81.1

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0LE
293.243293.635293.8463.20.20.1

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L1E
297.241297.517297.4783.20.10.0

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.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2021