Prices in the Midwest Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), edged down 0.2 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The November decrease was influenced by lower prices for gasoline and apparel. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U increased 1.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.1 percent over the year. Food prices increased 2.0 percent and energy prices inched up 0.2 percent. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices were unchanged for the month of November. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home were virtually unchanged (-0.1 percent) and prices for food away from home edged up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices increased 2.0 percent. Prices for food at home rose 1.3 percent since a year ago, and prices for food away from home were up 2.7 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.7 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-2.8 percent). Prices for electricity also decreased, -2.2 percent, while prices for natural gas service rose 2.9 percent for the same period.

Energy prices inched up 0.2 percent over the year. Higher prices for natural gas service (1.6 percent) and electricity (0.3 percent) contributed to the increase. Prices for gasoline were virtually unchanged (0.1 percent).

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy was little changed, down a slight 0.1 percent, in November. Lower prices for apparel (-3.1 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.7 percent) were largely offset by higher prices for recreation (1.1 percent) and education and communication (0.6 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.1 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (2.9 percent) and medical care services (5.7 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were lower prices for medical care commodities (-2.1 percent) and apparel (-1.1 percent).

The Midwest Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) stood at 238.850 in November 2019. A typical market basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in the 1982-84 base period cost $238.85 in November 2019.

CPI-W 

In November, the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 232.714.  The CPI-W edged down 0.2 percent in November, and advanced 1.9 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	0.2	1.5
August	0.0	-0.3	0.1	0.6	0.3	1.5	0.0	2.1	0.0	1.5
September	-0.3	-0.8	0.2	1.1	0.3	1.5	0.1	1.9	0.0	1.4
October	-0.1	-0.3	-0.1	1.0	-0.2	1.5	0.1	2.2	0.2	1.5
November	-0.5	-0.2	-0.3	1.2	0.2	1.9	-0.6	1.4	-0.2	1.9
December	-0.6	0.0	0.1	1.8	-0.2	1.7	-0.4	1.3

The December 2019 Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region is scheduled to be released on January 14, 2020.

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
	Sep. 2019	Oct. 2019	Nov. 2019	Nov. 2018	Sep. 2019	Oct. 2019
All items	238.847	239.243	238.850	1.9	0.0	-0.2
All items (December 1977 = 100)	388.618	389.262	388.623
Food and beverages	248.257	248.488	248.594	1.8	0.1	0.0
Food	247.641	247.914	248.037	2.0	0.2	0.0
Food at home	227.677	227.603	227.343	1.3	-0.1	-0.1
Cereals and bakery products	259.537	257.550	257.379	-0.7	-0.8	-0.1
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	247.380	247.329	247.506	1.4	0.1	0.1
Dairy and related products	196.666	197.387	199.956	5.4	1.7	1.3
Fruits and vegetables	268.486	269.741	267.102	1.4	-0.5	-1.0
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	163.807	163.292	163.499	2.0	-0.2	0.1
Other food at home	199.414	199.352	198.624	0.4	-0.4	-0.4
Food away from home	280.653	281.449	282.151	2.7	0.5	0.2
Alcoholic beverages	254.578	254.243	254.112	0.4	-0.2	-0.1
Housing	234.593	234.522	234.223	2.4	-0.2	-0.1
Shelter	281.723	281.992	281.961	2.9	0.1	0.0
Rent of primary residence(1)	280.641	281.400	282.272	2.9	0.6	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of residences(1)(2)	286.203	287.080	287.810	3.0	0.6	0.3
Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(1)(2)	286.162	287.017	287.753	3.0	0.6	0.3
Fuels and utilities	222.517	219.584	218.851	0.9	-1.6	-0.3
Household energy	179.559	176.264	175.396	0.5	-2.3	-0.5
Energy services(1)	186.565	182.938	181.746	0.7	-2.6	-0.7
Electricity(1)	209.303	201.494	197.018	0.3	-5.9	-2.2
Utility (piped) gas service(1)	138.119	141.429	145.580	1.6	5.4	2.9
Household furnishings and operations	115.967	116.537	115.714	1.0	-0.2	-0.7
Apparel	119.790	120.115	116.404	-1.1	-2.8	-3.1
Transportation	202.862	202.633	201.087	0.5	-0.9	-0.8
Private transportation	198.069	197.746	196.275	0.4	-0.9	-0.7
New and used motor vehicles(3)	96.728	96.739	96.757	0.2	0.0	0.0
New vehicles	135.622	135.844	137.122	0.2	1.1	0.9
New cars and trucks(3)(4)	95.888	96.048	96.939	0.2	1.1	0.9
New cars(4)	131.698	132.311	133.498	-0.1	1.4	0.9
Used cars and trucks	137.885	137.544	136.124	-0.4	-1.3	-1.0
Motor fuel	234.727	231.591	225.226	0.0	-4.0	-2.7
Gasoline (all types)	233.374	230.121	223.631	0.1	-4.2	-2.8
Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)	226.982	223.747	217.335	0.1	-4.3	-2.9
Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)	272.349	268.140	261.727	0.6	-3.9	-2.4
Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)	258.645	256.188	249.865	0.3	-3.4	-2.5
Motor vehicle insurance(6)	732.560	743.115	740.197	-0.1	1.0	-0.4
Medical care	500.625	508.101	507.577	4.1	1.4	-0.1
Medical care commodities	391.207	389.667	387.962	-2.1	-0.8	-0.4
Medical care services	537.327	547.856	547.734	5.7	1.9	0.0
Professional services	421.369	421.441	422.292	1.3	0.2	0.2
Recreation(3)	121.085	121.512	122.834	2.4	1.4	1.1
Education and communication(3)	137.788	137.766	138.572	0.8	0.6	0.6
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)	1,205.215	1,206.345	1,203.735	0.5	-0.1	-0.2
Other goods and services	438.131	439.682	441.087	2.9	0.7	0.3
Commodity and service group
Commodities	180.171	180.109	179.046	0.7	-0.6	-0.6
Commodities less food and beverages	147.413	147.244	145.789	0.1	-1.1	-1.0
Nondurables less food and beverages	196.508	196.026	192.755	0.0	-1.9	-1.7
Durables	101.098	101.160	101.082	0.2	0.0	-0.1
Services	299.400	300.279	300.597	2.7	0.4	0.1
Special aggregate indexes
All items less shelter	225.866	226.309	225.788	1.6	0.0	-0.2
All items less medical care	226.454	226.514	226.127	1.7	-0.1	-0.2
Commodities less food	150.736	150.562	149.133	0.1	-1.1	-0.9
Nondurables	222.054	221.902	220.187	1.0	-0.8	-0.8
Nondurables less food	199.570	199.097	196.005	0.0	-1.8	-1.6
Services less rent of shelter(2)	327.464	329.041	329.750	2.5	0.7	0.2
Services less medical care services	281.654	281.810	282.161	2.3	0.2	0.1
Energy	204.625	201.417	197.989	0.2	-3.2	-1.7
All items less energy	245.192	245.960	245.871	2.1	0.3	0.0
All items less food and energy	245.479	246.337	246.210	2.1	0.3	-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.