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News Release Information

15-2020-KAN
Thursday, October 15, 2015

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

Consumer Price Index, Midwest Region – September 2015

Prices in the Midwest down 0.3 percent in September and 0.8 percent lower over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest declined 0.3 percent in September after registering no change in each of the previous two months, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The monthly decrease was largely attributable to a 10.7-percent drop in motor fuel prices. Overall, energy costs were 6.6 percent lower over the month. Food prices rose 0.4 percent and the index for all items less food and energy was up 0.3 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

The CPI-U for the Midwest decreased 0.8 percent from September 2014 to September 2015, the ninth consecutive month of over-the-year decline. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices increased 1.4 percent and the energy index, which includes motor fuel and household fuels, fell 19.2 percent. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 1.3 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices in the Midwest increased 0.4 percent in September. The index for food at home rose 0.5 percent and costs for food away from home were 0.4 percent higher.  

From September 2014 to September 2015, the index for food advanced 1.4 percent led by a 3.0-percent rise in costs for food away from home. Prices for food at home also contributed to the increase with a gain of 0.4 percent.

Energy

The energy index registered its third consecutive monthly decline, falling 6.6 percent in September, and had the greatest downward impact on the all items index. The decrease in energy costs was largely attributable to a 10.7-percent drop in motor fuel prices, the largest one-month decline since January 2015. Lower costs for electricity (-2.8 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (-1.8 percent) also contributed to the monthly decline.

Energy prices fell 19.2 percent from September 2014 to September 2015, led by a drop of 29.8 percent in motor fuel prices. The index for motor fuel has registered consecutive over-the-year declines since August 2014. Costs for utility (piped) gas service were 18.1 percent lower over the year, while electricity prices were little changed (0.1 percent).

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy for the Midwest rose 0.3 percent in September. Expenditure categories registering higher prices over the month included apparel (3.8 percent), shelter (0.3 percent), and education and communication (0.5 percent). In contrast, used cars and trucks (-1.6 percent) was among the expenditure categories posting lower prices over the month.

The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.3 percent from September 2014 to September 2015. Higher costs for shelter (2.3 percent) and medical care services (2.2 percent) led the advance.

The Midwest Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) stood at 225.184 in September 2015. A typical market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $225.18 in September 2015. Because regional CPI data are not adjusted for seasonal price variation, consumers and businesses should be cautious in drawing conclusions about long-term retail price trends from short-term changes in the regional indexes.

CPI-W

In September, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 220.121, down 0.5 percent over the month. The CPI-W decreased 1.3 percent over the year.

Table A. Midwest region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20112012201320142015
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.51.90.62.80.11.30.51.4-0.6-0.3

February

0.32.20.22.71.12.20.60.90.3-0.5

March

0.92.71.02.80.21.40.91.50.6-0.9

April

0.73.30.22.3-0.11.20.31.90.1-1.1

May

0.63.8-0.11.50.51.80.21.60.4-0.8

June

0.03.9-0.11.40.32.20.51.70.5-0.7

July

0.13.80.01.3-0.41.8-0.31.80.0-0.5

August

0.23.80.71.80.11.2-0.21.60.0-0.3

September

0.23.90.31.90.11.00.11.6-0.3-0.8

October

-0.63.3-0.32.2-0.50.8-0.51.6  

November

0.03.3-0.41.8-0.21.0-0.61.2  

December

-0.22.8-0.21.8-0.21.0-0.70.7  

The October 2015 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 17, 2015.


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 approximately 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/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 areas; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The Midwest region is comprised of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

Midwest (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Jul.
2015
Aug.
2015
Sep.
2015
Sep.
2014
Jul.
2015
Aug.
2015

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

225.853225.830225.184-0.8-0.3-0.3

All items (December 1977=100)

367.476367.438366.386   

Food and beverages

239.516240.304241.3531.30.80.4

Food

239.266240.035241.1001.40.80.4

Food at home

229.936230.714231.8720.40.80.5

Food away from home

254.811255.562256.4693.00.70.4

Alcoholic beverages

240.512241.594242.3820.50.80.3

Housing

213.922213.907213.8271.10.00.0

Shelter

249.676249.789250.4352.30.30.3

Rent of primary residence (1)

247.740248.212249.0932.60.50.4

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

252.685253.239253.9702.10.50.3

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

252.682253.235253.9632.10.50.3

Fuels and utilities

221.893221.787217.460-4.3-2.0-2.0

Household energy

185.829185.517180.872-6.5-2.7-2.5

Energy services (1)

194.343194.009189.089-5.7-2.7-2.5

Electricity (1)

215.625215.456209.3570.1-2.9-2.8

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

147.374146.756144.182-18.1-2.2-1.8

Household furnishings and operations

116.212115.822116.2260.00.00.3

Apparel

115.350117.025121.530-3.25.43.8

Transportation

204.646202.612195.985-9.4-4.2-3.3

Private transportation

199.095197.332190.680-9.8-4.2-3.4

New and used motor vehicles (3)

100.08499.45798.911-0.8-1.2-0.5

New vehicles

139.249138.725138.8490.0-0.30.1

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

98.63198.26598.3630.2-0.30.1

New cars (4)

135.512135.153135.5900.30.10.3

Used cars and trucks

151.545151.385148.968-2.0-1.7-1.6

Motor fuel

246.592240.564214.907-29.8-12.8-10.7

Gasoline (all types)

245.326239.397213.670-29.8-12.9-10.7

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

241.386235.185208.627-30.8-13.6-11.3

Gasoline, Unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

275.548268.532244.167-27.7-11.4-9.1

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

254.579251.927231.993-23.7-8.9-7.9

Medical Care

451.331451.284451.7932.00.10.1

Medical care commodities

366.016364.941363.4151.4-0.7-0.4

Medical care services

479.840480.199481.5042.20.30.3

Professional services

391.944392.467393.7291.70.50.3

Recreation (3)

117.685117.935118.0020.60.30.1

Education and communication (3)

139.346139.846140.481-0.20.80.5

Other goods and services

401.493402.830402.0441.90.1-0.2
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

225.853225.830225.184-0.8-0.3-0.3

Commodities

180.282180.085178.825-4.0-0.8-0.7

Commodities less food & beverages

151.238150.631148.428-7.4-1.9-1.5

Nondurables less food & beverages

195.228194.414189.947-11.1-2.7-2.3

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

247.507245.099234.876-13.4-5.1-4.2

Durables

107.646107.241107.081-1.0-0.5-0.1

Services

273.022273.170273.1261.50.00.0

Rent of shelter (2)

256.423256.541257.2232.30.30.3

Transportation services

294.209292.358291.0452.1-1.1-0.4

Other services

327.062328.436329.0821.10.60.2
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

215.182215.160214.459-1.0-0.3-0.3

All items less food

223.573223.421222.496-1.1-0.5-0.4

All items less shelter

219.567219.492218.352-2.0-0.6-0.5

Commodities less food

154.128153.561151.424-7.1-1.8-1.4

Nondurables

217.267217.206215.325-4.9-0.9-0.9

Nondurables less food

197.685196.967192.767-10.5-2.5-2.1

Nondurables less food and apparel

245.659243.546234.270-12.4-4.6-3.8

Services less rent of shelter (2)

307.109307.300306.4210.7-0.2-0.3

Services less medical care services

257.567257.700257.5621.40.0-0.1

Energy

212.965210.174196.400-19.2-7.8-6.6

All items less energy

229.735229.998230.7081.30.40.3

All items less food and energy

228.702228.873229.5181.30.40.3

Commodities less food and energy commodities

145.704145.827146.679-0.80.70.6

Energy commodities

244.054238.255213.486-29.8-12.5-10.4

Services less energy services

283.345283.548284.0402.00.20.2

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) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
 

Regions defined as the four Census regions. Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

Table 2. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods

Midwest (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and Group

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Jul.
2015
Aug.
2015
Sep.
2015
Sep.
2014
Jul.
2015
Aug.
2015

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

221.136221.188220.121-1.3-0.5-0.5

All items (December 1977=100)

357.626357.710355.985   

Food and beverages

240.072240.891241.9731.40.80.4

Food

239.885240.695241.7871.40.80.5

Food at home

231.075231.870233.0530.40.90.5

Food away from home

255.868256.703257.6123.10.70.4

Alcoholic beverages

241.409242.361243.2750.80.80.4

Housing

209.132209.250209.0471.10.0-0.1

Shelter

238.856239.166239.7712.40.40.3

Rent of primary residence (1)

248.371248.871249.7272.60.50.3

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

235.562236.105236.7732.20.50.3

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

235.570236.114236.7812.20.50.3

Fuels and utilities

223.019222.878218.399-4.1-2.1-2.0

Household energy

186.568186.259181.494-6.3-2.7-2.6

Energy services (1)

193.555193.195188.191-5.5-2.8-2.6

Electricity (1)

213.490213.250207.1860.1-3.0-2.8

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

148.096147.510144.758-18.3-2.3-1.9

Household furnishings and operations

114.661114.283114.739-0.10.10.4

Apparel

114.283116.270119.975-2.85.03.2

Transportation

203.697201.850194.299-10.7-4.6-3.7

Private transportation

200.232198.468190.969-11.0-4.6-3.8

New and used motor vehicles (3)

100.590100.14499.407-1.0-1.2-0.7

New vehicles

142.441141.956142.154-0.1-0.20.1

Used cars and trucks

152.193152.033149.617-2.0-1.7-1.6

Motor fuel

247.174241.344215.580-29.8-12.8-10.7

Gasoline (all types)

245.798240.066214.259-29.8-12.8-10.7

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

241.675235.690209.055-30.8-13.5-11.3

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

275.352268.344243.984-27.7-11.4-9.1

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

254.381252.010232.058-23.7-8.8-7.9

Medical Care

456.457456.326456.8622.00.10.1

Medical care commodities

359.858358.749357.2671.4-0.7-0.4

Medical care services

486.179486.451487.8032.10.30.3

Professional services

393.314393.791395.0801.70.40.3

Recreation (3)

113.867114.046114.1430.20.20.1

Education and communication (3)

131.317131.790132.213-0.80.70.3

Other goods and services

446.645448.433447.5192.50.2-0.2
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

221.136221.188220.121-1.3-0.5-0.5

Commodities

183.710183.529181.684-4.6-1.1-1.0

Commodities less food & beverages

156.230155.614152.514-8.3-2.4-2.0

Nondurables less food & beverages

204.617203.702197.491-12.4-3.5-3.0

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

260.277257.652245.557-14.8-5.7-4.7

Durables

110.139109.797109.447-1.1-0.6-0.3

Services

265.736266.053265.8601.40.0-0.1

Rent of shelter (2)

237.187237.499238.1162.30.40.3

Transportation services

293.227292.421291.3132.6-0.7-0.4

Other services

302.894304.140304.4540.50.50.1
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

212.095212.153211.030-1.6-0.5-0.5

All items less food

217.492217.407215.950-1.8-0.7-0.7

All items less shelter

217.218217.179215.507-2.7-0.8-0.8

Commodities less food

158.858158.280155.271-8.0-2.3-1.9

Nondurables

222.655222.578219.883-5.5-1.2-1.2

Nondurables less food

206.439205.621199.786-11.7-3.2-2.8

Nondurables less food and apparel

257.002254.683243.718-13.7-5.2-4.3

Services less rent of shelter (2)

272.277272.569271.4820.4-0.3-0.4

Services less medical care services

251.093251.410251.1301.30.0-0.1

Energy

214.066211.181196.639-20.0-8.1-6.9

All items less energy

223.774224.189224.7801.20.40.3

All items less food and energy

220.754221.087221.5731.20.40.2

Commodities less food and energy commodities

149.253149.490150.033-0.70.50.4

Energy commodities

245.462239.832214.743-29.8-12.5-10.5

Services less energy services

275.282275.688276.1292.00.30.2

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 1984=100 base.
(3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base.
(4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample.
(5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
 

Regions defined as the four Census regions. Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015