The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater rose 0.9 percent over the April-May pricing period, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the energy index advanced 5.9 percent over the bi-monthly period. Since March, the all items less food and energy index was up 0.4 percent and the food index was up 1.3 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Over the last 12 months, the all items CPI-U increased 2.2 percent. The all items less food and energy index moved up 2.2 percent and the food index rose 3.6 percent over the year. The energy index inched up 0.1 percent since May 2018. (See table 1.)

Food

The food index rose 1.3 percent over the April-May pricing period, reflecting increases in the food at home (1.2 percent) and the food away from home (1.3 percent) indexes.

Since May 2018, the food index rose 3.6 percent, led by a 4.6-percent advance in the food away from home index. Over the year, the food at home index increased 2.9 percent.

Energy

The energy index increased 5.9 percent over the April-May pricing period, fueled by a 9.5 percent increase in the gasoline index. The electricity index also increased, up 1.9 percent, while the utility (piped) gas service index was unchanged over the two months.

The energy index was up 0.1 percent for the 12 months ending May 2019, reflecting a 0.3 percent increase in the gasoline index. Over the year, the electricity and the utility (piped) gas service indexes declined, down 0.1 and 0.9 percent, respectively.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.4 percent over the April-May pricing period. Increases in the shelter (1.2 percent) and education and communication (2.8 percent) indexes were partially offset by decreases in the new vehicles (-2.3 percent) and apparel (-5.1 percent) indexes.

From May 2018 to May 2019, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.2 percent as several indexes recorded increases, most notably shelter (5.4 percent). In contrast, the education and communication index declined over the year (-5.1 percent).

The Consumer Price Index for June 2019 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, July 11, 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 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Core Based Statistical Area includes Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties.

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,
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (1987=100 unless otherwise noted)

Item and Group	Indexes			Percent change from-
	Mar. 2019	Apr. 2019	May 2019	May 2018	Mar. 2019	Apr. 2019
Expenditure category
All Items	226.927	-	229.018	2.2	0.9	-
Food and beverages	228.877	-	231.609	3.6	1.2	-
Food	229.339	-	232.281	3.6	1.3	-
Food at home	229.845	230.454	232.690	2.9	1.2	1.0
Cereals and bakery products	263.089	-	271.354	5.9	3.1	-
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs	217.854	-	215.890	4.3	-0.9	-
Dairy and related products	210.529	-	213.875	-9.1	1.6	-
Fruits and vegetables	315.927	-	330.943	10.4	4.8	-
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials	168.215	-	173.897	6.4	3.4	-
Other food at home	192.207	-	188.818	-2.5	-1.8	-
Food away from home	227.574	-	230.626	4.6	1.3	-
Alcoholic beverages	207.563	-	207.318	3.1	-0.1	-
Housing	229.713	-	232.231	4.7	1.1	-
Shelter	263.683	265.797	266.933	5.4	1.2	0.4
Rent of primary residence	268.223	270.717	271.332	5.9	1.2	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of residences	277.689	279.951	280.555	5.1	1.0	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence	277.689	279.951	280.555	5.1	1.0	0.2
Fuels and utilities	209.167	-	212.015	0.9	1.4	-
Household energy	164.298	167.330	167.339	-0.2	1.9	0.0
Energy Services	161.924	164.930	164.930	-0.1	1.9	0.0
Electricity	159.102	162.081	162.081	-0.1	1.9	0.0
Utility (piped) gas service	233.814	233.814	233.814	-0.9	0.0	0.0
Household furnishings and operations	119.252	-	118.702	3.0	-0.5	-
Apparel	150.417	-	142.677	-2.4	-5.1	-
Transportation	202.923	-	206.608	0.5	1.8	-
Private transportation	208.776	-	211.451	0.4	1.3	-
New and used motor vehicles(1)	111.339	-	108.612	-0.8	-2.4	-
New vehicles	127.275	-	124.368	0.1	-2.3	-
Used cars and trucks	134.649	-	132.184	0.3	-1.8	-
Motor fuel	270.772	297.788	296.241	0.2	9.4	-0.5
Gasoline (all types)	264.897	291.603	290.054	0.3	9.5	-0.5
Unleaded regular(2)	257.482	284.532	283.194	0.6	10.0	-0.5
Unleaded midgrade(2)(3)	238.622	256.917	254.462	-1.7	6.6	-1.0
Unleaded premium(2)	284.904	304.547	301.572	-2.2	5.9	-1.0
Motor vehicle insurance	556.605	-	572.561	2.8	2.9	-
Medical Care	392.155	-	392.300	0.2	0.0	-
Recreation(1)	124.021	-	122.553	0.3	-1.2	-
Education and communication(1)	128.703	-	132.268	-5.1	2.8	-
Tuition, other school fees, and child care	622.848	-	619.130	0.2	-0.6	-
Other goods and services	299.834	-	298.359	1.0	-0.5	-
Commodity and service group
All Items	226.927	-	229.018	2.2	0.9	-
Commodities	175.859	-	176.497	1.2	0.4	-
Commodities less food & beverages	147.966	-	147.780	-0.1	-0.1	-
Nondurables less food & beverages	210.809	-	214.695	-0.7	1.8	-
Durables	93.971	-	91.899	0.5	-2.2	-
Services	272.305	-	275.681	2.8	1.2	-
Special aggregate indexes
All items less medical care	218.029	-	220.217	2.4	1.0	-
All items less shelter	211.806	-	213.407	0.6	0.8	-
Commodities less food	151.194	-	151.004	0.0	-0.1	-
Nondurables	219.798	-	223.087	1.6	1.5	-
Nondurables less food	210.667	-	214.270	-0.4	1.7	-
Services less rent of shelter	278.628	-	282.069	-0.2	1.2	-
Services less medical care services	259.416	-	262.994	2.9	1.4	-
Energy	205.954	218.683	218.061	0.1	5.9	-0.3
All items less energy	228.408	-	229.622	2.4	0.5	-
All items less food and energy	228.482	-	229.427	2.2	0.4	-
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (2) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (3) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base.
- Data not available.