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News Release Information

16-297-CHI
Friday, February 19, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Consumer Price Index, Chicago-Gary-Kenosha — January 2016

Local prices increased 0.9 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Chicago-Gary-Kenosha area increased 0.8 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that energy prices fell 3.0 percent and food prices were up 0.9 percent in January. The all items less food and energy index increased 1.0 percent over the month. Among the indexes within the all items less food and energy category, prices were higher for shelter and apparel. (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 Chicago area all items CPI-U rose 0.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The energy index fell 11.0 percent over the year due to annual declines in costs for utility (piped) gas service, electricity, and gasoline. The all items less food and energy index was 1.7 percent higher over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices rose 0.9 percent in January following a 0.2-percent increase in December. Between the two components within the food index, prices for food at home (groceries) increased 1.3 percent, while prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) were 0.3 percent higher over the month. Within the food at home group, prices were up for tomatoes, other fresh fruits, and coffee. In contrast, other pork including roasts and picnics experienced a decrease.

From January 2015 to January 2016, the food index increased 2.4 percent. Prices for food eaten away from home increased 4.2 percent over the year, while grocery food prices rose 1.1 percent from the previous January.

Energy

The energy index was down 3.0 percent in January primarily due to lower gasoline prices (-5.9 percent). Costs for electricity were also down in January, dropping 2.3 percent, while utility (piped) gas service rose 2.2 percent.

On an annual basis, the Chicago area energy index declined 11.0 percent. The indexes for utility (piped) gas service (-16.8 percent), electricity (-11.0 percent), and gasoline (-7.6 percent), were all lower compared to their January 2015 levels.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.0 percent in January. Categories experiencing increases included shelter (1.3 percent), apparel (4.2 percent), and recreation (1.5 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.7 percent. Annual increases in the indexes for shelter (3.2 percent) and medical care (1.1 percent) were major contributing factors. In contrast, prices for recreation decreased 1.9 percent over the year.

Table A. Chicago CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20122013201420152016
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.62.10.21.20.91.2-0.20.40.80.9

February

0.01.61.12.30.50.70.0-0.2  

March

1.22.1-0.10.91.11.90.7-0.6  

April

0.01.70.00.90.52.40.1-0.9  

May

-0.11.00.51.5-0.11.80.3-0.5  

June

-0.10.90.11.70.42.00.2-0.7  

July

-0.21.1-0.21.7-0.41.9-0.1-0.5  

August

0.61.50.11.10.11.90.4-0.1  

September

0.31.6-0.20.70.02.1-0.3-0.4  

October

-0.21.7-0.30.5-0.42.0-0.1-0.2  

November

-0.41.5-0.30.6-0.81.6-0.40.2  

December

-0.31.7-0.30.5-0.41.5-0.60.0  

The February 2016 Consumer Price Index for Chicago is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, March 16, 2016.


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 89 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers 28 percent of the total 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 87 urban areas across the country from about 6,000 housing units and approximately 24,000 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 (1982-84) that equals 100.0. An increase of 16.5 percent, for example, is shown as 116.5. This change can also be expressed in dollars as follows: the price of a base period "market basket" of goods and services in the CPI has risen from $10 in 1982-84 to $11.65. For further details see the CPI home page on the Internet at www.bls.gov/cpi and the BLS Handbook of Methods, Chapter 17, The Consumer Price Index, available on the Internet at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch17.pdf.

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 Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. consolidated area covered in this release is comprised of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois; Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana; and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals 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

Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Nov.
2015
Dec.
2015
Jan.
2016
Jan.
2015
Nov.
2015
Dec.
2015

Expenditure category

 
 

All items

227.641226.271227.9770.90.10.8

All items (1967=100)

680.098676.002681.101---

Food and beverages

242.745243.377245.6102.21.20.9

Food

242.684243.108245.3972.41.10.9

Food at home

238.511238.461241.6301.11.31.3

Food away from home

243.097244.185245.0314.20.80.3

Alcoholic beverages

241.924245.626247.010-0.22.10.6

Housing

232.702231.915234.3121.30.71.0

Shelter

290.674290.244294.0483.21.21.3

Rent of primary residence (1)

309.200309.939310.2122.80.30.1

Owners' equiv. rent of residences (1) (2)

296.123297.120297.8072.40.60.2

Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence (1) (2)

296.123297.120297.8072.40.60.2

Fuels and utilities

192.048188.610187.636-8.6-2.3-0.5

Household energy

154.632150.959149.835-13.3-3.1-0.7

Energy services (1)

157.535153.782152.632-13.5-3.1-0.7

Electricity (1)

160.603158.638155.005-11.0-3.5-2.3

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

138.474132.600135.550-16.8-2.12.2

Household furnishings and operations

94.32694.14694.592-2.20.30.5

Apparel

90.76187.08790.7782.20.04.2

Transportation

179.136173.699173.5810.1-3.1-0.1

Private transportation

174.810170.155169.114-0.4-3.3-0.6

Motor fuel

205.304185.278174.279-7.7-15.1-5.9

Gasoline (all types)

203.058183.208172.365-7.6-15.1-5.9

Gasoline, unleaded regular (3)

194.445174.715163.518-9.3-15.9-6.4

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (3) (4)

229.339209.067201.279-2.3-12.2-3.7

Gasoline, unleaded premium (3)

228.411211.555203.5003.7-10.9-3.8

Medical care

466.513465.295467.4471.10.20.5

Recreation (5)

108.120108.904110.576-1.92.31.5

Education and communication (5)

143.321143.576142.4950.0-0.6-0.8

Other goods and services

383.420384.159382.564-0.3-0.2-0.4
 

Commodity and service group

 
 

All items

227.641226.271227.9770.90.10.8

Commodities

165.910164.125165.2530.5-0.40.7

Commodities less food & beverages

127.051124.272124.900-0.9-1.70.5

Nondurables less food & beverages

165.380159.689159.235-1.2-3.7-0.3

Durables

90.29990.27491.635-0.81.51.5

Services

286.111285.128287.3891.20.40.8
 

Special aggregate indexes

 
 

All items less medical care

217.406216.027217.7160.90.10.8

All items less shelter

206.440204.730205.714-0.1-0.40.5

Commodities less food

131.226128.598129.252-0.9-1.50.5

Nondurables

204.585201.847202.6910.8-0.90.4

Nondurables less food

170.493165.275164.922-1.1-3.3-0.2

Services less rent of shelter (2)

296.120294.506295.199-0.9-0.30.2

Services less medical care services

272.404271.489273.7171.20.50.8

Energy

174.014163.989159.044-11.0-8.6-3.0

All items less energy

234.552233.997236.3341.80.81.0

All items less food and energy

233.904233.165235.5191.70.71.0

Footnotes
(1) This index series was calculated using a Laspeyres estimator. All other item stratum index series were calculated using a geometric means estimator.
(2) Index is on a December 1982=100 base.
(3) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(4) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
(5) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
 

- Data not available.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, February 19, 2016