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Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were up 0.4 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the rise was due to increases throughout the component indexes, led by the all items less food and energy index (up 0.3 percent). The energy index rose 1.3 percent over the month while the food index increased 0.4 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 index increased 3.6 percent. (See chart 1.) The April advance was primarily due to a 4.1-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index (which has been above the all items index since March 2023). The food index rose 2.1 percent and the energy index increased 1.2 percent over the year. (See table 1.)
FoodIn April, the food index was up 0.4 percent over the month, mainly driven by a 0.5-percent rise in prices for food at home. (See table 1.) Within the food at home index, most of the grocery categories had index increases. Prices for other food at home were up 1.0 percent (the largest increase in the index since March 2023) and prices for cereals and bakery products were up 1.2 percent (after declining 0.7 percent in March). Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 0.8 percent, mainly due to higher prices for processed fish and seafood. The only grocery category to decline was the nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index, down 2.1 percent over the month (the largest decline in that index since July 2019). The food away from home index increased 0.3 percent over the month.
From April 2023 to April 2024, the food index increased 2.1 percent as the food away from home index advanced 4.6 percent (the same as in March). Prices for food at home were up 0.9 percent, led by a 3.9-percent increase in the index for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials (down from March’s 4.7-percent rise). The fruits and vegetables index remained unchanged over the year. The dairy and related products index was the only grocery category to decline, down 1.0 percent from last April as it declined for the 5th consecutive month.
EnergyThe energy index increased 1.3 percent over the month (the same as March) due to a 5.5-percent advance in the gasoline index (the largest increase in the index since June 2022). The other energy index components tempered the rise as they decreased. The electricity index was down 1.9 percent, the utility (piped) gas service index down 1.8 percent, and the fuel oil index also declined.
Over the year, energy prices were up 1.2 percent, rising for the first time since February 2023. This was mainly because the electricity index increased 3.0 percent, up from 2.4 percent in March. The gasoline index rose 0.8 percent (following five consecutive months of decline). The utility (piped) gas service index was down 2.4 percent.
All items less food and energyThe index for all items less food and energy was up 0.3 percent in April, led by a 0.3-percent rise in the shelter index and within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index (up 0.5 percent). Rent of primary residence was up 0.4 percent. Prices for public transportation increased over the month as well. Some indexes declined and offset some of the index rise, including apparel (down 1.4 percent), lodging away from home, and medical care services (down 0.3 percent).
Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 4.1 percent, mainly due to a 5.8-percent increase in the shelter index. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index increased 6.1 percent and rent of primary residence was up 5.5 percent (both rising the same percent as seen in March). The new and used motor vehicle index decreased (down 0.7 percent) and tempered some of the overall rise with a 5.8-percent decline in prices for used cars and trucks.
Geographic divisionsAdditional price indexes are available for the two divisions of the Northeast. Over the month, the all items CPI-U index for the Middle Atlantic division was up 0.4 percent. The CPI-U for the New England division rose 0.3 percent.
Over the year, the all items index rose 3.7 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 3.2 percent in the New England division. (See table B.)
Month | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | 1-month | 12-month | |
January | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 6.3 | 0.7 | 6.0 | 0.6 | 2.5 |
February | 0.3 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 6.6 | 0.5 | 5.9 | 0.5 | 2.4 |
March | -0.2 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 7.3 | -0.2 | 4.3 | 0.7 | 3.4 |
April | -0.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 7.2 | 0.2 | 3.8 | 0.4 | 3.6 |
May | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 0.9 | 7.5 | 0.1 | 3.1 | ||
June | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 7.6 | 0.3 | 2.2 | ||
July | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 4.3 | -0.2 | 7.3 | 0.2 | 2.6 | ||
August | 0.1 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 4.4 | 0.3 | 7.4 | 0.5 | 2.8 | ||
September | 0.1 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 4.6 | 0.1 | 7.2 | 0.3 | 3.0 | ||
October | -0.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 5.4 | 0.3 | 6.9 | 0.0 | 2.7 | ||
November | 0.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 6.0 | 0.1 | 6.4 | 0.0 | 2.5 | ||
December | 0.2 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 5.9 | -0.1 | 6.1 | 0.0 | 2.6 |
Area | 1-month change | 12-month change |
---|---|---|
Northeast | 0.4 | 3.6 |
New England Division | 0.3 | 3.2 |
Middle Atlantic Division | 0.4 | 3.7 |
The May 2024 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on June 12, 2024.
The Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is published monthly. 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, 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.
Expenditure category | Indexes | Percent change from | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Historical data | Feb. 2024 | Mar. 2024 | Apr. 2024 | Apr. 2023 | Feb. 2024 | Mar. 2024 | |
All items | 319.577 | 321.741 | 323.035 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.4 | |
All items (December 1977 = 100) | 503.237 | 506.645 | 508.682 | ||||
Food and beverages | 327.137 | 327.161 | 328.442 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
Food | 329.662 | 329.700 | 331.143 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
Food at home | 308.361 | 307.985 | 309.571 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | |
Cereals and bakery products | 387.709 | 385.043 | 389.766 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.2 | |
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs | 308.753 | 310.715 | 313.236 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.8 | |
Dairy and related products | 277.943 | 274.334 | 276.738 | -1.0 | -0.4 | 0.9 | |
Fruits and vegetables | 360.819 | 354.327 | 356.219 | 0.0 | -1.3 | 0.5 | |
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials | 221.102 | 226.084 | 221.439 | 3.9 | 0.2 | -2.1 | |
Other food at home | 279.156 | 279.385 | 282.218 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | |
Food away from home | 367.438 | 368.267 | 369.423 | 4.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | |
Alcoholic beverages | 292.405 | 292.242 | 291.361 | 0.4 | -0.4 | -0.3 | |
Housing | 346.555 | 348.586 | 349.128 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | |
Shelter | 425.974 | 428.807 | 430.231 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | |
Rent of primary residence | 428.770 | 430.137 | 431.822 | 5.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | |
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1) | 441.139 | 443.041 | 445.161 | 6.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | |
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1) | 440.700 | 442.589 | 444.709 | 6.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | |
Fuels and utilities | 299.600 | 301.048 | 296.553 | 1.5 | -1.0 | -1.5 | |
Household energy | 268.062 | 269.460 | 264.545 | 1.3 | -1.3 | -1.8 | |
Energy services | 261.801 | 264.152 | 259.200 | 1.4 | -1.0 | -1.9 | |
Electricity | 272.024 | 276.287 | 271.038 | 3.0 | -0.4 | -1.9 | |
Utility (piped) gas service | 223.513 | 221.949 | 217.923 | -2.4 | -2.5 | -1.8 | |
Household furnishings and operations | 144.672 | 144.696 | 145.132 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | |
Apparel | 133.770 | 137.397 | 135.494 | 0.8 | 1.3 | -1.4 | |
Transportation | 258.911 | 261.965 | 267.790 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.2 | |
Private transportation | 257.930 | 260.322 | 265.932 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | |
New and used motor vehicles(2) | 124.644 | 125.142 | 125.251 | -0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | |
New vehicles | 174.890 | 174.742 | 174.973 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | |
New cars(3) | 164.792 | 164.540 | 164.580 | -0.4 | -0.1 | 0.0 | |
Used cars and trucks | 191.771 | 192.925 | 192.122 | -5.8 | 0.2 | -0.4 | |
Motor fuel | 280.019 | 286.761 | 302.214 | 0.7 | 7.9 | 5.4 | |
Gasoline (all types) | 279.095 | 285.969 | 301.658 | 0.8 | 8.1 | 5.5 | |
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3) | 273.415 | 280.617 | 296.679 | 0.7 | 8.5 | 5.7 | |
308.449 | 314.144 | 328.534 | 1.5 | 6.5 | 4.6 | ||
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3) | 307.156 | 312.090 | 325.528 | 1.9 | 6.0 | 4.3 | |
Medical care | 562.889 | 573.512 | 572.201 | 2.1 | 1.7 | -0.2 | |
Medical care commodities | 412.870 | 415.865 | 416.845 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 0.2 | |
Medical care services | 606.782 | 619.757 | 617.727 | 1.7 | 1.8 | -0.3 | |
Professional services | 428.869 | 428.332 | 425.509 | -1.1 | -0.8 | -0.7 | |
Recreation(2) | 141.310 | 141.669 | 141.671 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |
Education and communication(2) | 155.401 | 155.399 | 155.405 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5) | 1,410.151 | 1,410.245 | 1,410.503 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Other goods and services | 608.833 | 610.058 | 609.924 | 3.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |
Commodity and service group | |||||||
Commodities | 227.473 | 228.379 | 229.362 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | |
Commodities less food and beverages | 176.018 | 177.238 | 178.052 | -0.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | |
Nondurables less food and beverages | 226.697 | 229.285 | 231.110 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.8 | |
Durables | 120.252 | 120.441 | 120.504 | -2.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | |
Services | 407.988 | 411.357 | 412.950 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | |
Special aggregate indexes | |||||||
All items less shelter | 282.454 | 284.386 | 285.643 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | |
All items less medical care | 308.913 | 310.700 | 312.111 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | |
Commodities less food | 180.268 | 181.457 | 182.229 | -0.3 | 1.1 | 0.4 | |
Nondurables | 276.282 | 277.617 | 279.178 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.6 | |
Nondurables less food | 230.540 | 232.953 | 234.607 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.7 | |
Services less rent of shelter(1) | 401.467 | 405.547 | 407.395 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | |
Services less medical care services | 394.307 | 397.019 | 398.859 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 0.5 | |
Energy | 273.665 | 277.320 | 280.986 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 1.3 | |
All items less energy | 327.759 | 329.836 | 330.960 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | |
All items less food and energy | 329.505 | 331.953 | 333.029 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.3 | |
Footnotes |
Last Modified Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024