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News Release Information

19-809-NEW
Friday, May 10, 2019

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

Consumer Price Index, New York-Newark-Jersey City – April 2019

Area prices up 0.3 percent over the month and 1.6 percent over the year

Prices in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), rose 0.3 percent for the second consecutive month in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli attributed the rise to higher prices for energy and shelter. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the year, the CPI-U increased 1.6 percent. The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.8 percent. (See table A and chart 1.) Price increases for shelter drove the 12-month change in both indexes. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index edged down 0.2 percent, after increasing 0.3 percent in March. Prices for food at home dropped 0.5 percent, with price declines in three of the six grocery groups. Groceries with lower prices in April included lettuce and bacon, breakfast sausage, and related products. On the other hand, prices for food away from home increased 0.2 percent.

For the year ending in April 2019, the food index rose 1.7 percent. Food-away-from-home prices advanced 2.6 percent, while food-at-home prices increased 1.0 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 1.9 percent, following a 2.7-percent rise in March. Gasoline prices jumped 7.9 percent, after rising 6.0 percent the previous month. By contrast, lower prices for natural gas (-3.6 percent) and electricity (-2.0 percent) drove a 2.2-percent decline in household energy prices.  

Over the year, the energy index was down 0.9 percent. A 3.1-percent decline in electricity prices, coupled with a 0.2-percent decline in natural gas prices, contributed to a 2.1-percent decline in household energy prices. Gasoline prices rose 0.8 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.3 percent, marking a fourth consecutive increase. Shelter prices jumped 0.5 percent—the largest increase since August 2017—with increases in residential rent (0.5 percent) and owners’ equivalent rent (0.3 percent). Higher prices were also reported for recreation (0.9 percent), including club memberships, and education and communication (0.4 percent). Seasonal price declines for apparel (-3.8 percent) partially offset these increases.

From April 2018 to April 2019, the index for all items less food and energy increased 1.8 percent. A 2.4-percent rise in shelter prices included increases of 3.0 percent for residential rent and 2.0 percent for owners’ equivalent rent. Other expenditure categories posting increases of at least 2.0 percent included medical care (3.7 percent); tuition, other school fees, and childcare (3.3 percent); motor vehicle insurance (2.5 percent); and alcoholic beverages (2.3 percent). In contrast, prices for apparel dropped 5.0 percent.

Table A. New York-Newark-Jersey City CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)
Month201420152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

0.91.90.1-0.50.20.80.62.50.41.40.51.6

February

-0.21.10.30.10.20.60.32.60.51.70.21.3

March

0.41.30.2-0.10.20.70.02.30.01.70.31.6

April

0.01.60.10.00.41.00.12.00.31.90.31.6

May

0.51.90.4-0.10.30.90.11.80.42.2

June

0.01.70.20.10.2(R)0.9(R)0.21.80.12.0

July

0.11.6-0.1-0.1-0.11.0-0.21.60.02.2

August

-0.21.30.10.10.21.10.21.70.12.2

September

0.01.00.20.30.21.00.52.10.42.0

October

-0.21.3-0.10.40.11.2-0.21.8-0.12.0

November

-0.40.8-0.20.60.21.6-0.11.6-0.21.9

December

-0.50.3-0.40.70.12.10.11.6-0.21.6

Footnotes:
(R) = revised.

CPI-WIn April, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) was 271.992, up 0.3 percent over the month. The CPI-W rose 1.5 percent over the year.

The May 2019 Consumer Price Index for New York-Newark-Jersey City is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).


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 5,000 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa., Core Based Statistical Area includes Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties in New York; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.

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, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, not seasonally adjusted
(1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)
Item and GroupIndexesPercent change from-
Feb.
2019
March
2019
April
2019
April
2018
Feb.
2019
March
2019

Expenditure category

All items

275.823276.570277.4411.60.60.3

All items (1967=100)

797.367799.526802.042   

Food and beverages

269.907270.636270.1231.70.1-0.2

Food

270.046270.756270.2941.70.1-0.2

Food at home

258.689259.546258.3481.0-0.1-0.5

Cereals and bakery products

305.249306.981300.794-1.3-1.5-2.0

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

251.255254.454254.4780.81.30.0

Dairy and related products

224.142225.649227.7523.21.60.9

Fruits and vegetables

333.452334.342325.386-0.8-2.4-2.7

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)

256.656248.616255.1041.6-0.62.6

Other food at home

228.020230.412229.7493.10.8-0.3

Food away from home

293.474293.993294.5752.60.40.2

Alcoholic beverages

263.448264.415263.2152.3-0.1-0.5

Housing

301.233301.791302.4131.90.40.2

Shelter

381.584382.414384.2202.40.70.5

Rent of primary residence

395.438396.754398.9323.00.90.5

Owners' equivalent rent of residences(2)

388.611388.962389.9442.00.30.3

Owners' equivalent rent of primary residence(2)

388.130388.481389.4612.00.30.3

Fuels and utilities

195.193196.239192.664-1.3-1.3-1.8

Household energy

186.384187.523183.483-2.1-1.6-2.2

Energy services

177.937178.718174.095-2.0-2.2-2.6

Electricity

173.987178.798175.302-3.10.8-2.0

Utility (piped) gas service

173.755168.262162.164-0.2-6.7-3.6

Household furnishings and operations

110.693109.961109.4500.7-1.1-0.5

Apparel

127.683125.298120.552-5.0-5.6-3.8

Transportation

215.269218.283223.3360.83.72.3

Private transportation

202.076205.715210.6031.24.22.4

New and used motor vehicles(3)

91.09991.12791.015-1.0-0.1-0.1

New vehicles(1)

204.632204.123204.5341.60.00.2

Used cars and trucks(1)

267.583269.956270.6121.01.10.2

Motor fuel

196.935208.752225.2230.814.47.9

Gasoline (all types)

195.926207.720224.1690.814.47.9

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

194.232206.468223.4410.815.08.2

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

207.486216.774228.9910.210.45.6

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

209.920218.523231.5910.710.36.0

Motor vehicle insurance(1)

762.731763.145763.1452.50.10.0

Medical care

501.561504.067504.5513.70.60.1

Recreation(3)

125.201124.499125.5931.10.30.9

Education and communication(3)

143.119143.612144.1431.90.70.4

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(1)

1,204.9541,204.2821,204.2763.3-0.10.0

Other goods and services

435.245434.964433.8911.5-0.3-0.2

Commodity and service group

All items

275.823276.570277.4411.60.60.3

Commodities

189.976190.914191.1040.00.60.1

Commodities less food and beverages

142.143143.120143.619-1.51.00.3

Nondurables less food and beverages

180.271182.224183.761-1.91.90.8

Durables

93.79393.64992.979-0.5-0.9-0.7

Services

348.090348.744350.1222.30.60.4

Special aggregate indexes

All items less medical care

266.022266.692267.5791.50.60.3

All items less shelter

233.886234.608235.0821.10.50.2

Commodities less food

146.664147.646148.097-1.31.00.3

Nondurables

226.347227.768228.3750.10.90.3

Nondurables less food

185.298187.203188.594-1.61.80.7

Services less rent of shelter(2)

322.814323.287324.2262.10.40.3

Services less medical care services

335.097335.584336.9722.00.60.4

Energy

192.940198.185201.948-0.94.71.9

All items less energy

285.825286.132286.7221.80.30.2

All items less food and energy

290.525290.772291.5291.80.30.3

Footnotes
(1) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.
(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, May 10, 2019