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News Release Information

23-2012-PHI
Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Consumer Price Index, Northeast Region – August 2023

Area prices were up 0.5 percent over the past month, up 2.8 percent from a year ago

Prices in the Northeast Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased by 0.5 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the August increase was primarily due to a 0.3-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index and a 3.0-percent increase in the energy index. The food index rose 0.1 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 2.8 percent. The August increase was mainly due to a 3.7-percent rise in the all items less food and energy index which was led by increases within the shelter index. (See chart 1 and table A.) This is the sixth consecutive month that the 12-month change in the all items index has been lower than the all items less food and energy index. The food index continued moderating, rising 4.0 percent, while the energy index decreased 8.3 percent, trending down for the sixth consecutive month. (See table 1.)

Food

In August, the food index was up 0.1 percent as prices for food away from home rose 0.6 percent. (See table 1.) The food at home index declined over the month (down 0.1 percent) as most of the grocery categories decreased. The indexes that declined included fruits and vegetables (down 1.1 percent), dairy and related products (down 1.4 percent), other food at home (down 0.2 percent) and cereals and bakery products (down 0.1 percent). The only categories to increase were meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (up 0.7 percent after six consecutive months of declines) and nonalcoholic food and beverages and beverage materials (up 0.8 percent).

From August 2022 to August 2023, the food index continued to moderate as it increased 4.0 percent, led by the food away from home index (up 7.0 percent, similar to last month’s 6.8-percent increase). Prices for food at home increased 2.4 percent, the lowest rise in two years. The other food at home index rose 4.0 percent, cereals and bakery products were up 5.9 percent (the smallest rise since December 2021), and nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials increased 6.2 percent (up slightly from July’s 5.9-percent increase but well below the recent peak of 13.2 percent in January). The only grocery category to decrease was meats, poultry, fish, and eggs (down 1.8 percent).

Energy

The energy index increased 3.0 percent in August, the largest increase since June 2022. The increase was driven by a 4.7-percent increase in prices for gasoline. The fuel oil index rose, along with a 0.7-percent rise in the utility (piped) gas service index—the first increase since 2023 began—and a 0.2-percent increase in the electricity index (the smallest percent change since November 2022).

Over the year, energy prices were down 8.3 percent, down for the sixth consecutive month, as most of the index components declined. Prices for gasoline decreased 9.1 percent, moderating from double-digit increases from March through July 2023. The utility (piped) gas service index was down 19.6 percent—down for the fifth month in a row and the largest decline in the index since April 2015. Fuel oil also decreased. The only energy category to rise was electricity, up 1.1 percent, the smallest price increase since May 2020.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent in August, the same as it had been for the previous four months. The August rise was mainly due to a 0.5-percent rise in the shelter index, and within shelter the owners’ equivalent rent of residences and rent of primary residence indexes were both up 0.5 percent while lodging away from home declined. The apparel index rose 2.6 percent over the month; it typically increases in August. Some categories also declined and tempered the overall increase including other goods and services (down 0.9 percent—the first decline since December 2022), public transportation, recreation (down 0.4 percent), and medical care (down 0.2 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy was up 3.7 percent, slightly down from the 4.0-percent increase in July. Like the monthly increase, this was primarily due to the shelter index (up 6.4 percent, similar to last month’s 6.5-percent increase) and within that the owners’ equivalent rent of residences index (up 6.6 percent and also similar to July’s increase of 6.7 percent). The rent of primary residence index also increased 6.6 percent and lodging away from home was up. The medical care index declined 3.8 percent as prices for medical care services decreased 4.9 percent; both continued to accelerate their decreases since March 2023.

Geographic divisions

Additional 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 increased 0.5 percent. The CPI-U for the New England division increased 0.4 percent.

Over the year, the all items index rose 3.0 percent in the Middle Atlantic division and 2.3 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
Month 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month 1-month 12-month

January

0.3 1.5 0.7 2.3 0.4 1.1 0.8 6.3 0.7 6.0

February

0.2 1.3 0.3 2.4 0.4 1.2 0.7 6.6 0.5 5.9

March

0.5 1.7 -0.2 1.7 0.6 2.1 1.3 7.3 -0.2 4.3

April

0.4 1.7 -0.4 0.8 0.7 3.3 0.6 7.2 0.2 3.8

May

0.3 1.5 0.0 0.6 0.6 3.9 0.9 7.5 0.1 3.1

June

0.1 1.6 0.3 0.8 1.0 4.6 1.2 7.6 0.3 2.2

July

0.1 1.7 0.4 1.1 0.2 4.3 -0.2 7.3 0.2 2.6

August

0.1 1.5 0.1 1.1 0.1 4.4 0.3 7.4 0.5 2.8

September

0.0 1.4 0.1 1.2 0.3 4.6 0.1 7.2

October

-0.1 1.5 -0.2 1.1 0.6 5.4 0.3 6.9

November

0.1 1.9 0.1 1.1 0.6 6.0 0.1 6.4

December

-0.1 1.9 0.2 1.4 0.2 5.9 -0.1 6.1
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

0.5 2.8

New England Division

0.4 2.3

Middle Atlantic Division

0.5 3.0

The September 2023 Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region is scheduled to be released on October 12, 2023.


Technical Note

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.

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.
2023
Jul.
2023
Aug.
2023
Aug.
2022
Jun.
2023
Jul.
2023

All items

313.329 313.952 315.441 2.8 0.7 0.5

All items (December 1977 = 100)

493.397 494.379 496.723      

Food and beverages

322.257 323.002 323.245 4.0 0.3 0.1

Food

324.353 325.081 325.432 4.0 0.3 0.1

Food at home

305.456 306.205 305.792 2.4 0.1 -0.1

Cereals and bakery products

384.259 387.713 387.495 5.9 0.8 -0.1

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

305.170 303.874 306.112 -1.8 0.3 0.7

Dairy and related products

277.448 281.156 277.180 1.6 -0.1 -1.4

Fruits and vegetables

354.117 356.495 352.615 0.5 -0.4 -1.1

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

216.664 215.115 216.826 6.2 0.1 0.8

Other food at home

279.273 279.691 279.270 4.0 0.0 -0.2

Food away from home

356.600 357.255 359.368 7.0 0.8 0.6

Alcoholic beverages

293.314 294.274 293.065 3.8 -0.1 -0.4

Housing

334.730 335.321 337.346 4.6 0.8 0.6

Shelter

410.022 411.594 413.698 6.4 0.9 0.5

Rent of primary residence

412.417 414.384 416.497 6.6 1.0 0.5

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)

423.569 426.355 428.680 6.6 1.2 0.5

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)

423.216 425.968 428.290 6.6 1.2 0.5

Fuels and utilities

288.416 284.664 288.771 -5.2 0.1 1.4

Household energy

256.967 252.760 257.022 -7.2 0.0 1.7

Energy services

254.752 248.947 249.752 -6.1 -2.0 0.3

Electricity

271.488 263.933 264.393 1.1 -2.6 0.2

Utility (piped) gas service

205.164 203.018 204.401 -19.6 -0.4 0.7

Household furnishings and operations

143.507 143.680 144.347 2.5 0.6 0.5

Apparel

133.940 132.144 135.581 3.1 1.2 2.6

Transportation

260.265 261.486 264.568 1.2 1.7 1.2

Private transportation

258.252 261.015 264.688 1.8 2.5 1.4

New and used motor vehicles(2)

128.290 129.791 129.859 1.4 1.2 0.1

New vehicles

174.870 175.216 175.463 3.4 0.3 0.1

New cars(3)

165.738 165.736 165.847 3.2 0.1 0.1

Used cars and trucks

213.212 212.904 209.769 -6.7 -1.6 -1.5

Motor fuel

304.743 307.015 321.648 -9.5 5.5 4.8

Gasoline (all types)

304.270 306.693 321.226 -9.1 5.6 4.7

Gasoline, unleaded regular(3)

299.758 302.193 316.923 -9.3 5.7 4.9

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(3)(4)

329.283 331.346 345.465 -9.1 4.9 4.3

Gasoline, unleaded premium(3)

323.896 326.210 339.051 -7.7 4.7 3.9

Medical care

558.956 559.936 558.709 -3.8 0.0 -0.2

Medical care commodities

401.499 402.552 401.465 2.3 0.0 -0.3

Medical care services

605.115 606.070 604.804 -4.9 -0.1 -0.2

Professional services

430.825 434.158 434.702 1.1 0.9 0.1

Recreation(2)

139.861 140.109 139.616 1.7 -0.2 -0.4

Education and communication(2)

154.150 154.643 154.896 1.3 0.5 0.2

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

1,384.655 1,398.129 1,405.852 3.3 1.5 0.6

Other goods and services

593.151 594.572 589.401 5.0 -0.6 -0.9

Commodity and service group

Commodities

228.426 228.467 230.106 0.6 0.7 0.7

Commodities less food and beverages

179.300 179.052 181.180 -1.6 1.0 1.2

Nondurables less food and beverages

228.112 227.978 233.594 -1.8 2.4 2.5

Durables

124.289 124.000 123.602 -1.4 -0.6 -0.3

Services

394.909 396.085 397.440 4.1 0.6 0.3

Special aggregate indexes

All items less shelter

279.837 280.106 281.376 1.0 0.5 0.5

All items less medical care

302.544 303.152 304.768 3.4 0.7 0.5

Commodities less food

183.505 183.289 185.339 -1.4 1.0 1.1

Nondurables

274.619 274.916 277.912 1.4 1.2 1.1

Nondurables less food

231.927 231.861 237.051 -1.4 2.2 2.2

Services less rent of shelter(1)

391.254 391.995 392.506 1.5 0.3 0.1

Services less medical care services

380.415 381.607 383.146 5.2 0.7 0.4

Energy

276.781 275.009 283.238 -8.3 2.3 3.0

All items less energy

320.615 321.454 322.378 3.8 0.5 0.3

All items less food and energy

321.993 322.857 323.888 3.7 0.6 0.3

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: Wednesday, September 13, 2023