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News Release Information

22-1870-PHI
Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – August 2022

Area prices were up 0.3 percent over the past month, up 7.4 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged up 0.3 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the modest rise followed a decrease the previous month and was the smallest increase of 2022. The all items less food and energy index, up 0.6 percent, accounted for most of the overall rise in the CPI-U although the food index also increased in August, up 0.7 percent. Partially offsetting those increases, the energy index decreased by 3.0 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 index rose 7.4 percent; throughout 2022, the overall CPI increases ranged from 6.3 to 7.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The all items less food and energy index, up 5.0 percent, was largely responsible for the over-the-year increase in August. The energy index increased 31.2 percent over the year as prices for gasoline increased 32.4 percent and the food index advanced 10.2 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.7 percent for the month of August, moderating somewhat from the 1.3-percent increase in July. (See table 1.) Of the two major components within the food index, prices for food at home increased 0.8 percent, while prices for food away from home were up 0.4 percent. Grocery price increases included other food at home (up 1.6 percent) and cereals and bakery products (up 1.7 percent).

From August 2021 to August 2022, the food index increased 10.2 percent – about the same as the 10.1 percent rise in July. Prices for food at home advanced 12.0 percent since a year ago, up slightly from the 11.7 percent 12-month increase in July. Prices for food away from home increased 7.1 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 3.0 percent over the month of August following a 4.6 percent drop in July. Gasoline prices continued to fall, down 9.3 percent in August after a 5.9 percent drop in July. The index for electricity increased 5.1 percent and the utility (piped) gas service index advanced 3.2 percent over the month; both indexes had over-the-month declines in July.

Energy prices moderated somewhat over the year, up 31.2 percent following a 12-month increase of 36.7 percent in July. The energy index continued to show the impact of higher prices for gasoline, up 32.4 percent but the smallest increase this year compared with 12-month advances of 60.0 percent in June and 47.4 percent in July. The electricity index rose 19.5 percent while the utility (piped) gas service index was up 37.0 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.6 percent in August. Higher prices for shelter (up 0.6 percent), apparel (up 3.0 percent), and medical care (up 0.8 percent) contributed to the increase. Decreases in public transportation and recreation partially offset the overall index rise. Both the indexes for owners' equivalent rent of residences and for rent of primary residence contributed to the increase of the shelter index, each rose 0.6 percent, while prices for medical care services advanced 0.9 percent and were mainly responsible for the medical care index increase.

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 5.0 percent; so far in 2022, the 12-month changes have ranged from 4.3 to 5.0 percent. The 12-month increases in the shelter index (up 3.7 percent – the largest increase since 2007), the new and used motor vehicles index (up 11.6 percent), the medical care index (up 5.7 percent), and household furnishing and operations (up 8.7 percent) contributed to the increase in the all items less food and energy index. Within new and used motor vehicles, prices for new vehicles moderated, up 9.8 percent – the smallest price increase since the year began. The increase in the shelter index was led by gains in the index for owners’ equivalent rent of residences, up 3.9 percent; the pace of over-the-year increase in owners’ equivalent rent of residences ranged from 1.7 to 3.9 percent over the last 12 months.

Geographic divisions

Additional price indexes are now available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U index for the Middle Atlantic division increased 0.4 percent, and the New England division rose 0.2 percent.

Over the year, the all items index rose 7.5 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 7.3 percent in the New England division. (See table B.)

Table A. Northeast region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20182019202020212022
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.51.60.31.50.72.30.41.10.86.3

February

0.41.70.21.30.32.40.41.20.76.6

March

0.12.00.51.7-0.21.70.62.11.37.3

April

0.42.10.41.7-0.40.80.73.30.67.2

May

0.42.50.31.50.00.60.63.90.97.5

June

0.02.60.11.60.30.81.04.61.27.6

July

0.02.70.11.70.41.10.24.3-0.27.3

August

0.22.70.11.50.11.10.14.40.37.4

September

0.12.20.01.40.11.20.34.6

October

-0.12.3-0.11.5-0.21.10.65.4

November

-0.41.90.11.90.11.10.66.0

December

-0.11.7-0.11.90.21.40.25.9
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

0.37.4

New England Division

0.27.3

Middle Atlantic Division

0.47.5

The September 2022 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on October 13, 2022.


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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

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.
2022
Jul.
2022
Aug.
2022
Aug.
2021
Jun.
2022
Jul.
2022

All items

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0
306.453305.916306.8557.40.10.3

All items (December 1977 = 100)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100AA0
482.570481.724483.203   

Food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF
304.928308.776310.9579.92.00.7

Food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF1
306.848310.853313.01810.22.00.7

Food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF11
291.665296.137298.62012.02.40.8

Cereals and bakery products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF111
352.511359.884365.85716.03.81.7

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF112
306.931310.644311.6439.71.50.3

Dairy and related products

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFJ
267.049270.667272.87215.12.20.8

Fruits and vegetables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF113
346.709350.853350.8678.51.20.0

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF114
198.924203.205204.09711.62.60.4

Other food at home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF115
260.067264.114268.46013.63.21.6

Food away from home

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEFV
331.418334.425335.9207.11.40.4

Alcoholic beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAF116
278.252280.031282.4054.81.50.8

Housing

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH
320.297319.846322.4736.50.70.8

Shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH1
385.575386.621388.9103.70.90.6

Rent of primary residence

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHA
386.924388.189390.5954.00.90.6

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC
398.725399.736402.2913.90.90.6

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHC01
398.378399.392401.9413.90.90.6

Fuels and utilities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH2
306.592297.558304.52425.6-0.72.3

Household energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH21
279.009269.663276.99830.0-0.72.7

Energy services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF
258.329254.546265.86324.82.94.4

Electricity

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF01
253.807248.867261.60319.53.15.1

Utility (piped) gas service

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEHF02
247.643246.317254.12337.02.63.2

Household furnishings and operations

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAH3
139.554139.771140.8358.70.90.8

Apparel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAA
129.637127.622131.4713.71.43.0

Transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT
271.417266.429261.37614.1-3.7-1.9

Private transportation

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAT1
268.937264.840259.95314.5-3.3-1.8

New and used motor vehicles(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA
127.943127.241128.04011.60.10.6

New vehicles

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA01
167.365168.573169.7029.81.40.7

New cars(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS45011
158.540160.171160.65110.91.30.3

Used cars and trucks

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETA02
224.188224.831224.9058.40.30.0

Motor fuel

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB
416.155391.537355.24832.6-14.6-9.3

Gasoline (all types)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SETB01
414.151389.580353.42932.4-14.7-9.3

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47014
411.558385.881349.24932.1-15.1-9.5

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47015
433.247414.314380.13134.2-12.3-8.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SS47016
414.948398.793367.48834.1-11.4-7.8

Medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM
573.145576.156580.6695.71.30.8

Medical care commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM1
386.288391.379392.3443.51.60.2

Medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAM2
628.303630.586636.2246.21.30.9

Professional services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEMC
430.281427.588429.9251.9-0.10.5

Recreation(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAR
136.949137.500137.2634.30.2-0.2

Education and communication(2)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAE
152.217152.327152.9380.80.50.4

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

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SEEB
1,344.4271,348.6511,360.5981.81.20.9

Other goods and services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAG
557.181557.521561.0955.90.70.6

Commodity and service group

Commodities

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAC
230.510229.581228.78210.8-0.7-0.3

Commodities less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL11
188.635185.946184.06211.4-2.4-1.0

Nondurables less food and beverages

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL11
250.340243.255237.94615.2-5.0-2.2

Durables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAD
124.801125.047125.4187.70.50.3

Services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAS
379.054378.922381.6135.50.70.7

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L2
279.325278.230278.6989.4-0.20.2

All items less medical care

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L5
294.694294.009294.7977.60.00.3

Commodities less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SACL1
192.253189.664187.88011.1-2.3-0.9

Nondurables

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SAN
277.683275.892274.20812.2-1.3-0.6

Nondurables less food

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SANL1
251.796245.274240.45314.4-4.5-2.0

Services less rent of shelter(1)

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL2RS
384.943383.505386.7117.60.50.8

Services less medical care services

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SASL5
361.880361.593364.0855.50.60.7

Energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0E
333.517318.237308.83031.2-7.4-3.0

All items less energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0LE
308.028308.796310.6695.70.90.6

All items less food and energy

Go to web page with historical data for series CUUR0100SA0L1E
310.200310.401312.2345.00.70.6

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 13, 2022