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24-1913-PHI
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), rose 0.2 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the rise was primarily due to increases in the shelter and apparel indexes. These contributed to the 0.5-percent increase in the all items less food and energy index. The food index was also up over the month (0.1 percent) and the energy index tempered the overall increase as it declined 2.0 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 increased 3.4 percent, mainly because of a 6.3-percent rise in the shelter index within the all items less food and energy index (up 4.0 percent). (See chart 1.) Food prices rose 2.2 percent, the same as last month. Energy prices decreased 1.3 percent, mostly due to a decline in gasoline prices. (See table 1.)
FoodIn August, the food index was up 0.1 percent over the month, mainly driven by a 0.2-percent increase in prices for food away from home. (See table 1.) The food at home index remained unchanged over the month. The meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index was up 1.8 percent (the largest index increase since May 2022), mostly due to price increases for chicken and eggs. Prices for nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials decreased 1.8 percent, partially because of lower prices for coffee. The other food at home index also declined, down 0.6 percent.
From August 2023 to August 2024, the food index increased 2.2 percent as the food away from home index advanced 4.2 percent. Prices for food at home were up 1.0 percent, led by the meats, poultry, fish, and eggs index (up 4.1 percent—the fifth consecutive month of rising increases). The nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials index was up 2.0 percent over the year.
EnergyThe energy index decreased 2.0 percent over the month (the first index decline in 2024), mostly due to a 2.5-percent decrease in prices for gasoline. The electricity index was down 1.1 percent. The utility (piped) gas service index declined 2.3 percent, and fuel oil prices also decreased.
Over the year, energy prices were down 1.3 percent, predominantly due to the gasoline index (down 8.0 percent, the largest index decline since last August). The fuel oil index also decreased. Prices for electricity increased 7.9 percent over the year as utility (piped) gas service prices rose 1.8 percent.
All items less food and energyThe index for all items less food and energy was up 0.5 percent in August after a 0.1-percent decline in July. This was largely due to a 0.6-percent increase in the shelter index. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index was also up 0.6 percent, and the rent of primary residence index rose 0.7 percent. The apparel index also contributed to the overall rise as it advanced 2.8 percent over the month. The 0.5-percent increase in the education and communication index was led by a 0.9-percent uptick in prices for tuition, other school fees, and childcare.
Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 4.0 percent, mainly because of the 6.3-percent rise in the shelter index. Within shelter, the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index was up 6.4 percent, and the rent of primary residence index was up 5.9 percent. The medical care index was up 2.6 percent over the year, as prices rose for medical care services (up 2.0 percent) and medical care commodities (up 5.5 percent). Two indexes declined over the year: new and used motor vehicles (down 3.7 percent; the fifth consecutive month of decreases) and apparel (down 1.1 percent).
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 0.3 percent. The CPI-U for the New England division increased 0.2 percent.
Over the year, the all items index rose 3.4 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 3.3 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 | 0.4 | 3.9 |
June |
0.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 7.6 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 3.8 |
July |
0.4 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 4.3 | -0.2 | 7.3 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 3.6 |
August |
0.1 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 4.4 | 0.3 | 7.4 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 0.2 | 3.4 |
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 |
0.2 | 3.4 |
New England Division |
0.2 | 3.3 |
Middle Atlantic Division |
0.3 | 3.4 |
The September Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on October 10, 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 |
Jun. 2024 |
Jul. 2024 |
Aug. 2024 |
Aug. 2023 |
Jun. 2024 |
Jul. 2024 |
|
All items |
325.271 | 325.339 | 326.140 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | |
All items (December 1977 = 100) |
512.202 | 512.309 | 513.571 | ||||
Food and beverages |
329.007 | 329.749 | 329.911 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |
Food |
331.469 | 332.234 | 332.435 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | |
Food at home |
307.891 | 309.000 | 308.935 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |
Cereals and bakery products |
386.874 | 385.818 | 387.374 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | |
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs |
313.613 | 313.213 | 318.729 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 | |
Dairy and related products |
276.169 | 279.924 | 279.124 | 0.7 | 1.1 | -0.3 | |
Fruits and vegetables |
347.943 | 353.095 | 352.107 | -0.1 | 1.2 | -0.3 | |
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials |
221.119 | 225.084 | 221.129 | 2.0 | 0.0 | -1.8 | |
Other food at home |
282.135 | 280.052 | 278.451 | -0.3 | -1.3 | -0.6 | |
Food away from home |
373.582 | 373.682 | 374.390 | 4.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
Alcoholic beverages |
295.121 | 295.550 | 295.188 | 0.7 | 0.0 | -0.1 | |
Housing |
353.688 | 354.777 | 355.938 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | |
Shelter |
436.491 | 437.068 | 439.750 | 6.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | |
Rent of primary residence |
436.003 | 438.034 | 441.048 | 5.9 | 1.2 | 0.7 | |
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1) |
451.832 | 453.685 | 456.323 | 6.4 | 1.0 | 0.6 | |
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1) |
451.377 | 453.220 | 455.868 | 6.4 | 1.0 | 0.6 | |
Fuels and utilities |
298.760 | 302.989 | 299.076 | 3.6 | 0.1 | -1.3 | |
Household energy |
266.665 | 271.118 | 266.603 | 3.7 | 0.0 | -1.7 | |
Energy services |
264.900 | 269.198 | 265.459 | 6.3 | 0.2 | -1.4 | |
Electricity |
282.480 | 288.277 | 285.238 | 7.9 | 1.0 | -1.1 | |
Utility (piped) gas service |
211.964 | 213.020 | 208.168 | 1.8 | -1.8 | -2.3 | |
Household furnishings and operations |
145.986 | 147.046 | 146.292 | 1.3 | 0.2 | -0.5 | |
Apparel |
134.081 | 130.491 | 134.137 | -1.1 | 0.0 | 2.8 | |
Transportation |
267.276 | 267.463 | 267.101 | 1.0 | -0.1 | -0.1 | |
Private transportation |
266.037 | 267.701 | 267.717 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |
New and used motor vehicles(2) |
124.559 | 124.986 | 125.016 | -3.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |
New vehicles |
174.977 | 174.967 | 174.634 | -0.5 | -0.2 | -0.2 | |
New cars(3) |
164.957 | 164.696 | 164.462 | -0.8 | -0.3 | -0.1 | |
Used cars and trucks |
193.788 | 192.432 | 190.911 | -9.0 | -1.5 | -0.8 | |
Motor fuel |
302.221 | 303.288 | 295.782 | -8.0 | -2.1 | -2.5 | |
Gasoline (all types) |
301.867 | 302.970 | 295.432 | -8.0 | -2.1 | -2.5 | |
Gasoline, unleaded regular(3) |
296.618 | 297.770 | 289.880 | -8.5 | -2.3 | -2.6 | |
330.810 | 331.681 | 325.231 | -5.9 | -1.7 | -1.9 | ||
Gasoline, unleaded premium(3) |
327.141 | 327.972 | 322.489 | -4.9 | -1.4 | -1.7 | |
Medical care |
578.651 | 572.336 | 573.346 | 2.6 | -0.9 | 0.2 | |
Medical care commodities |
425.037 | 424.001 | 423.427 | 5.5 | -0.4 | -0.1 | |
Medical care services |
623.580 | 615.631 | 617.137 | 2.0 | -1.0 | 0.2 | |
Professional services |
425.588 | 425.016 | 425.014 | -2.2 | -0.1 | 0.0 | |
Recreation(2) |
143.728 | 142.794 | 142.980 | 2.4 | -0.5 | 0.1 | |
Education and communication(2) |
155.197 | 155.599 | 156.370 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | |
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(5) |
1,414.764 | 1,422.147 | 1,434.313 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.9 | |
Other goods and services |
607.588 | 610.227 | 606.702 | 2.9 | -0.1 | -0.6 | |
Commodity and service group |
|||||||
Commodities |
229.461 | 229.201 | 229.046 | -0.5 | -0.2 | -0.1 | |
Commodities less food and beverages |
177.957 | 177.303 | 177.027 | -2.3 | -0.5 | -0.2 | |
Nondurables less food and beverages |
230.342 | 228.745 | 228.710 | -2.1 | -0.7 | 0.0 | |
Durables |
120.849 | 120.881 | 120.490 | -2.5 | -0.3 | -0.3 | |
Services |
417.230 | 417.612 | 419.327 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | |
Special aggregate indexes |
|||||||
All items less shelter |
286.376 | 286.252 | 286.349 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
All items less medical care |
314.159 | 314.513 | 315.305 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | |
Commodities less food |
182.239 | 181.611 | 181.332 | -2.2 | -0.5 | -0.2 | |
Nondurables |
279.062 | 278.609 | 278.671 | 0.3 | -0.1 | 0.0 | |
Nondurables less food |
234.122 | 232.653 | 232.598 | -1.9 | -0.7 | 0.0 | |
Services less rent of shelter(1) |
409.225 | 409.397 | 410.055 | 4.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
Services less medical care services |
403.031 | 403.982 | 405.710 | 5.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | |
Energy |
282.219 | 285.253 | 279.467 | -1.3 | -1.0 | -2.0 | |
All items less energy |
333.307 | 333.142 | 334.475 | 3.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
All items less food and energy |
335.745 | 335.415 | 336.956 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | |
Footnotes |
Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2024