The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Midwest was unchanged in June due to mixed movements within the index, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Higher costs for food away from home, electricity, shelter, used cars and trucks, and medical care services had the largest upward impacts on the index, while lower prices for gasoline and household furnishings and operations had the largest offsetting movements. The index for all items less food and energy was essentially unchanged (0.1 percent) in June, energy costs were down 0.7 percent, and food prices rose 0.2 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 rose 1.2 percent over the latest 12 months. (See chart 1 and table A.) Food prices increased 1.5 percent. The energy index, which includes motor fuel and household fuels, declined 3.8 percent. The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.7 percent from June 2018 to June 2019. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices in the Midwest were up 0.2 percent from May to June. The increase was due to a 0.4-percent rise in prices for food away from home. Prices for food at home were unchanged.

From June 2018 to June 2019, the index for food advanced 1.5 percent. Costs for food away from home were up 2.7 percent and prices for food at home rose 0.4 percent over the year.

Energy

The energy index turned down 0.7 percent after recording increases in each of the previous four months. The monthly decline reflected a 3.8-percent drop in prices for gasoline and an offsetting 4.9-percent increase in electricity costs. Higher prices for utility (piped) gas service (0.2 percent) did little to moderate the decrease. 

Energy costs declined 3.8 percent since June 2018 due to over-the-year decreases in prices for all major components of the index.  Gasoline (-5.3 percent), utility (piped) gas service (-3.5 percent), and electricity (-1.2 percent) each recorded lower prices than a year ago.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy for the Midwest was virtually unchanged, up 0.1 percent in June. Among the expenditure categories that registered higher costs were shelter (0.2 percent), used cars and trucks (1.6 percent) and medical care services (0.5 percent). Decreases in prices for household furnishings and operations (-0.7 percent) and apparel (-0.7 percent) were among those that moderated the increase.

The index for all items less food and energy was up 1.7 percent from June 2018 to June 2019. Higher costs for shelter (3.6 percent) led the increase.

The Midwest Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) stood at 238.288 in June 2019. A typical market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $238.29 in June 2019.

CPI-W 

In June, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 232.385. The CPI-W was unchanged in June and advanced 1.1 percent over the year.

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

Month	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019
	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month	1-month	12-month
January	-0.6	-0.3	0.3	0.8	0.7	2.2	0.6	1.6	0.2	0.8
February	0.3	-0.5	0.0	0.4	0.2	2.4	0.2	1.7	0.7	1.3
March	0.6	-0.9	0.6	0.5	0.1	1.9	0.2	1.8	0.6	1.7
April	0.1	-1.1	0.4	0.8	0.4	1.8	0.4	1.8	0.3	1.5
May	0.4	-0.8	0.4	0.8	0.0	1.4	0.5	2.3	0.3	1.3
June	0.5	-0.7	0.6	0.8	0.0	0.9	0.2	2.5	0.0	1.2
July	0.0	-0.5	-0.5	0.4	0.0	1.3	0.0	2.4
August	0.0	-0.3	0.1	0.6	0.3	1.5	0.0	2.1
September	-0.3	-0.8	0.2	1.1	0.3	1.5	0.1	1.9
October	-0.1	-0.3	-0.1	1.0	-0.2	1.5	0.1	2.2
November	-0.5	-0.2	-0.3	1.2	0.2	1.9	-0.6	1.4
December	-0.6	0.0	0.1	1.8	-0.2	1.7	-0.4	1.3

The July 2019 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest region is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, August 13, 2019.

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 93 percent of the total population and (2) a CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) which covers approximately 29 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 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 (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 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: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Indexes and percent changes for selected periods, Midwest Region, (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted) (not seasonally adjusted)

Expenditure category	Indexes			Percent change from
	Apr. 2019	May 2019	Jun. 2019	Jun. 2018	Apr. 2019	May 2019
All items	237.510	238.219	238.288	1.2	0.3	0.0
All items (December 1977 = 100)	386.441	387.596	387.709
Food and beverages	246.391	247.517	247.960	1.5	0.6	0.2
Food	245.689	246.953	247.346	1.5	0.7	0.2
Food at home	226.719	228.000	227.950	0.4	0.5	0.0
Cereals and bakery products	257.264	259.730	262.143	0.4	1.9	0.9
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	246.965	249.425	247.922	-0.1	0.4	-0.6
Dairy and related products	194.063	195.331	195.142	-1.0	0.6	-0.1
Fruits and vegetables	269.574	273.099	270.639	0.4	0.4	-0.9
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	162.936	163.014	161.891	1.0	-0.6	-0.7
Other food at home	198.321	197.784	199.528	1.2	0.6	0.9
Food away from home	277.182	278.434	279.497	2.7	0.8	0.4
Alcoholic beverages	253.893	253.144	254.268	1.7	0.1	0.4
Housing	231.999	232.790	233.655	2.6	0.7	0.4
Shelter	278.535	279.672	280.235	3.6	0.6	0.2
Rent of primary residence(1)	277.399	278.085	278.668	3.4	0.5	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)	282.449	283.587	284.189	3.6	0.6	0.2
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)	282.416	283.553	284.155	3.6	0.6	0.2
Fuels and utilities	217.617	219.835	225.255	-0.9	3.5	2.5
Household energy	174.666	176.947	182.522	-2.0	4.5	3.2
Energy services(1)	180.802	183.384	189.738	-1.9	4.9	3.5
Electricity(1)	197.879	202.154	212.048	-1.2	7.2	4.9
Utility (piped) gas service(1)	141.802	141.504	141.773	-3.5	0.0	0.2
Household furnishings and operations	116.256	115.298	114.497	0.2	-1.5	-0.7
Apparel	115.838	114.920	114.069	-2.5	-1.5	-0.7
Transportation	207.665	207.945	206.242	-0.8	-0.7	-0.8
Private transportation	202.644	202.413	200.922	-0.9	-0.8	-0.7
New and used motor vehicles(3)	98.142	97.347	97.834	0.6	-0.3	0.5
New vehicles	138.861	137.761	137.458	0.1	-1.0	-0.2
New cars and trucks(3)(4)	98.155	97.388	97.178	0.1	-1.0	-0.2
New cars(4)	134.809	134.363	133.982	0.0	-0.6	-0.3
Used cars and trucks	139.697	138.123	140.351	1.6	0.5	1.6
Motor fuel	250.913	254.253	244.784	-5.3	-2.4	-3.7
Gasoline (all types)	249.602	252.987	243.457	-5.3	-2.5	-3.8
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)	243.301	246.676	237.244	-5.3	-2.5	-3.8
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	286.308	288.763	279.181	-5.3	-2.5	-3.3
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)	271.531	274.350	265.543	-4.5	-2.2	-3.2
Motor vehicle insurance(6)	737.005	731.394	734.564	0.6	-0.3	0.4
Medical care	487.594	492.063	493.894	2.0	1.3	0.4
Medical care commodities	394.680	391.030	390.713	-1.3	-1.0	-0.1
Medical care services	518.705	525.925	528.484	2.8	1.9	0.5
Professional services	419.222	420.560	421.252	0.7	0.5	0.2
Recreation(3)	120.985	121.203	120.979	-1.0	0.0	-0.2
Education and communication(3)	137.404	137.108	137.330	-0.2	-0.1	0.2
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)	1,200.610	1,200.659	1,202.214	1.6	0.1	0.1
Other goods and services	432.934	434.887	433.359	1.9	0.1	-0.4
Commodity and service group
Commodities	181.219	181.197	180.302	-0.3	-0.5	-0.5
Commodities less food and beverages	149.505	149.055	147.697	-1.3	-1.2	-0.9
Nondurables less food and beverages	199.681	199.757	196.511	-2.2	-1.6	-1.6
Durables	102.266	101.490	101.554	-0.2	-0.7	0.1
Services	295.548	297.028	298.116	2.2	0.9	0.4
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter	225.158	225.726	225.624	0.2	0.2	0.0
All items less medical care	225.673	226.204	226.189	1.1	0.2	0.0
Commodities less food	152.767	152.308	151.007	-1.2	-1.2	-0.9
Nondurables	222.893	223.461	221.917	-0.3	-0.4	-0.7
Nondurables less food	202.524	202.555	199.556	-1.9	-1.5	-1.5
Services less rent of shelter(2)	322.804	324.691	326.395	0.8	1.1	0.5
Services less medical care services	278.906	279.957	280.935	2.1	0.7	0.3
Energy	209.577	212.344	210.885	-3.8	0.6	-0.7
All items less energy	243.197	243.706	243.932	1.7	0.3	0.1
All items less food and energy	243.471	243.848	244.045	1.7	0.2	0.1
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) Indexes 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. (6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
Note: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.