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errata

Incorrect prices for prescription drugs were used for the CPI-U and CPI-W indexes from May through August 2016 in a number of areas. Several indexes were affected, including the all items and medical care indexes. A list of the series affected can be found at (www.bls.gov/bls/errata/cpi-price-corrections-10182016.htm), and the corrected data are available in the CPI database (www.bls.gov/cpi/data.htm).

News Release Information

16-1501-ATL
Friday, July 15, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Consumer Price Index, South Region – June 2016

Prices up 0.4 percent over the month and 0.8 percent over the year

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South was up 0.4 percent in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The energy index advanced 4.4 percent over the month and the all items less food and energy index inched up 0.1 percent. The food index edged down 0.2 percent in June. (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 all items CPI-U rose 0.8 percent. The all items less food and energy index increased 2.2 percent over the year reflecting price increases for several categories, most notably shelter. (See chart 1.)

Food

The food index edged down 0.2 percent in June led by a decline in the food at home index (-0.4 percent). The food away from home index inched up 0.1 percent over the month.

The food index was unchanged over the year. The food at home index declined 1.4 percent since June 2015, while the food away from home index was up 1.9 percent.

Energy

The energy index advanced 4.4 percent in June, reflecting price increases for electricity (5.3 percent), motor fuel (4.0 percent), and utility (piped) gas service (1.8 percent).

From June 2015—June 2016, energy prices declined 9.9 percent, reflecting a 15.9-percent drop in motor fuel prices. Prices for electricity (-3.6 percent) and utility (piped) gas service (-1.0 percent) also declined over the year.

All items less food and energy

The all items less food and energy index inched up 0.1 percent in June led by an increase in the shelter index (0.3 percent).

Since June 2015, the all items less food and energy index advanced 2.2 percent, led by increases in several indexes, most notably, shelter (2.9 percent). Other indexes with increases over the year included medical care (3.4 percent), education and communication (1.4 percent), recreation (1.6 percent), and other goods and services (2.5 percent).

Table A. South region 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

0.53.20.41.60.31.7-0.7-0.40.01.2

February

0.63.30.91.80.41.20.5-0.30.10.7

March

0.72.80.31.50.61.50.6-0.30.60.7

April

0.42.5-0.20.90.52.30.3-0.60.40.9

May

-0.41.60.01.30.22.40.4-0.40.40.9

June

-0.21.70.41.90.22.30.5-0.10.40.8

July

-0.21.40.22.2-0.12.0-0.1-0.1  

August

0.61.60.11.7-0.21.7-0.2-0.2  

September

0.52.10.01.30.11.7-0.2-0.4  

October

-0.22.1-0.21.3-0.31.60.0-0.1  

November

-0.51.6-0.31.5-0.61.3-0.20.3  

December

-0.11.70.11.8-0.60.6-0.40.5  

The Consumer Price Index for July 2016 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, August 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 https://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 South region is comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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

 
Indexes
 
Percent change from-
Apr.
2016
May
2016
Jun.
2016
Jun.
2015
Apr.
2016
May
2016

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

231.975232.906233.8380.80.80.4

All items (December 1977=100)

376.295377.806379.317---

Food and beverages

246.329245.899245.4270.1-0.4-0.2

Food

247.685247.128246.6220.0-0.4-0.2

Food at home

239.123237.930236.877-1.4-0.9-0.4

Food away from home

263.298263.683263.9861.90.30.1

Alcoholic beverages

226.871228.379228.4271.70.70.0

Housing

223.762224.587226.2641.81.10.7

Shelter

256.290257.150257.9282.90.60.3

Rent of primary residence (1)

264.147264.949265.6033.50.60.2

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

258.039258.748259.2612.50.50.2

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

258.028258.736259.2502.50.50.2

Fuels and utilities

221.103223.388231.538-1.94.73.6

Household energy

177.943180.293188.923-3.46.24.8

Energy services (1)

178.301180.740189.561-3.26.34.9

Electricity (1)

178.394181.077190.668-3.66.95.3

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

162.875163.465166.364-1.02.11.8

Household furnishings and operations

121.265120.981121.493-0.90.20.4

Apparel

136.869136.625135.2400.7-1.2-1.0

Transportation

194.784198.250199.690-3.32.50.7

Private transportation

192.535195.705197.017-3.42.30.7

New and used motor vehicles (3)

104.353104.033103.558-0.5-0.8-0.5

New vehicles

154.445154.010153.173-0.4-0.8-0.5

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

105.171104.876104.235-0.4-0.9-0.6

New cars (4)

154.659154.128153.271-1.1-0.9-0.6

Used cars and trucks

148.060147.674146.666-2.6-0.9-0.7

Motor fuel

177.154190.330197.954-15.911.74.0

Gasoline (all types)

176.441189.611197.173-15.811.84.0

Unleaded regular (4)

171.956185.246192.795-16.612.14.1

Unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

195.669208.865215.973-13.310.43.4

Unleaded premium (4)

195.403206.881214.038-11.99.53.5

Medical care

437.480437.172438.3073.40.20.3

Medical care commodities

351.695348.286350.4092.9-0.40.6

Medical care services

466.316467.261467.9823.50.40.2

Professional services

360.276361.628363.0091.80.80.4

Recreation (3)

118.426118.432118.3891.60.00.0

Education and communication (3)

137.200136.790136.7171.4-0.4-0.1

Other goods and services

412.283414.542416.4252.51.00.5
 

Commodity and service group

 
 

All Items

231.975232.906233.8380.80.80.4

Commodities

180.223180.903181.184-2.30.50.2

Commodities less food and beverages

148.920150.024150.599-3.71.10.4

Nondurables less food and beverages

187.988191.209193.226-4.62.81.1

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

220.353225.526229.431-6.34.11.7

Durables

111.435110.935110.427-1.9-0.9-0.5

Services

284.133285.316286.8842.71.00.5

Rent of shelter (2)

263.010263.901264.6872.90.60.3

Transportation services

325.023328.485329.4615.21.40.3

Other services

339.754340.218340.3982.90.20.1
 

Special aggregate indexes

 
 

All items less medical care

220.702221.684222.6000.60.90.4

All items less food

229.327230.487231.6380.91.00.5

All items less shelter

223.568224.535225.537-0.20.90.4

Commodities less food

151.333152.451153.016-3.51.10.4

Nondurables

215.657217.131217.958-2.31.10.4

Nondurables less food

189.963193.091195.002-4.22.71.0

Nondurables less food and apparel

219.817224.671228.247-5.73.81.6

Services less rent of shelter (2)

319.580321.172323.7812.61.30.8

Services less medical care services

267.663268.845270.4452.61.00.6

Energy

173.868180.957188.961-9.98.74.4

All items less energy

239.219239.475239.6311.90.20.1

All items less food and energy

238.141238.541238.8122.20.30.1

Commodities less food and energy commodities

149.111148.579148.172-0.6-0.6-0.3

Energy commodities

180.474193.537201.122-15.811.43.9

Services less energy services

295.329296.366297.1023.20.60.2

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.
 

- Data not available.
Regions defined as the four Census regions. South includes Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, July 15, 2016