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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

16-1475-SAN
Friday, July 15, 2016

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Consumer Price Index, West Region — June 2016

Area prices were up 0.2 percent over the past month, up 1.6 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), crept up 0.2 percent in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The June increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter and gasoline. (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 rose 1.6 percent.  (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices fell 10.4 percent, largely the result of a decrease in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.8 percent over the year. (See table 1.) This is the eighth month that this index has increased by more than 2.5 percent. (See chart 1.)

Food

Food prices inched down 0.1 percent for the month of June. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home decreased 0.4 percent, but prices for food away from home rose 0.3 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 1.0 percent. Prices for food away from home advanced 3.4 percent, but prices for food at home decreased 0.7 percent since a year ago.

Energy

The energy index increased 1.9 percent over the month. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for gasoline (3.0 percent). Prices for electricity increased 0.9 percent, but prices for natural gas service decreased 1.1 percent for the same period.

Energy prices fell 10.4 percent over the year, largely due to lower prices for gasoline (-18.6 percent). Prices for natural gas service decreased 6.7 percent, but during the past year prices paid for electricity advanced 2.1 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy edged up 0.1 percent in June. Higher prices for shelter (0.4 percent) and medical care (0.2 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for apparel (-2.0 percent) and recreation (-0.4 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.8 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (4.9 percent) and medical care (3.7 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price declines in  used cars and trucks (-4.1 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.7 percent).

Table A. West Region CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)
Month 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Monthly Annual Monthly Annual Monthly Annual Monthly Annual Monthly Annual Monthly Annual

January

0.5 1.4 0.4 2.6 0.3 1.7 0.3 1.7 -0.3 0.7 0.5 2.6

February

0.6 1.9 0.4 2.5 0.8 2.0 0.4 1.3 0.6 0.9 0.1 2.1

March

0.9 2.6 0.9 2.4 0.4 1.5 0.6 1.5 0.8 1.1 0.2 1.5

April

0.6 3.0 0.2 2.1 0.0 1.3 0.3 1.8 0.3 1.0 0.5  1.8

May

0.3 3.2 0.2 2.0 0.2 1.3 0.6 2.3 0.8 1.2 0.5 1.5

June

-0.2 3.1 -0.2 2.0 0.1 1.5 0.1 2.3 0.0 1.1 0.2 1.6

July

-0.1 2.9 -0.3 1.8 0.0 1.9 0.1 2.3 0.3 1.3    

August

0.2 3.0 0.5 2.1 0.1 1.5 -0.1 2.1 -0.1 1.3    

September

0.4 3.5 0.5 2.2 0.2 1.3 0.1 2.0 -0.2 1.0    

October

0.0 3.4 0.4 2.5 -0.1 0.9 -0.1 2.0 0.0 1.1    

November

-0.2 3.2 -0.7 1.9 -0.4 1.3 -0.6 1.7 -0.2 1.5    

December

-0.3 2.7 -0.5 1.7 0.0 1.8 -0.5 1.3 -0.1 1.8    

The July 2016 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on 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 www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/.

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 West Region covered in this release is comprised of the following thirteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

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

West (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

246.589247.885248.2671.60.70.2

All items (December 1977=100)

398.597400.692401.310   

Food and beverages

252.018251.836251.5031.1-0.2-0.1

Food

252.003251.885251.5821.0-0.2-0.1

Food at home

247.623247.094246.086-0.7-0.6-0.4

Food away from home

256.965257.433258.1373.40.50.3

Alcoholic beverages

248.907247.867247.1401.7-0.7-0.3

Housing

261.967263.822264.6884.01.00.3

Shelter

298.069299.726300.8674.90.90.4

Rent of primary residence (1)

313.242314.318315.7465.20.80.5

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

312.866314.216315.6034.90.90.4

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

312.866314.220315.6084.90.90.4

Fuels and utilities

278.853286.787287.8391.73.20.4

Household energy

239.117248.416249.7950.14.50.6

Energy services (1)

241.273251.024252.1370.04.50.4

Electricity (1)

268.148279.505282.0112.15.20.9

Utility (piped) gas service (1)

192.420198.958196.812-6.72.3-1.1

Household furnishings and operations

129.304129.033128.832-0.7-0.4-0.2

Apparel

121.463121.088118.6270.9-2.3-2.0

Transportation

198.203200.605202.092-4.72.00.7

Private transportation

191.566193.449195.078-4.71.80.8

New and used motor vehicles (3)

102.074102.025101.889-0.6-0.2-0.1

New vehicles

148.223148.049147.680-0.2-0.4-0.2

New cars and trucks (3) (4)

102.932102.813102.562-0.3-0.4-0.2

New cars (4)

146.177146.181145.566-1.3-0.4-0.4

Used cars and trucks

141.238140.987140.147-4.1-0.8-0.6

Motor fuel

200.563208.114214.564-18.57.03.1

Gasoline (all types)

200.130207.561213.878-18.66.93.0

Gasoline, unleaded regular (4)

197.293204.948211.393-18.97.13.1

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade (4) (5)

193.552198.716203.730-18.25.32.5

Gasoline, unleaded premium (4)

198.496204.978210.575-17.06.12.7

Medical Care

466.222469.562470.3483.70.90.2

Medical care commodities

351.872351.696355.4503.41.01.1

Medical care services

502.722507.337506.9973.80.9-0.1

Professional services

348.154350.290348.9612.70.2-0.4

Recreation (3)

111.985112.233111.8390.7-0.1-0.4

Education and communication (3)

138.508138.117137.9050.1-0.4-0.2

Other goods and services

407.450407.586407.3741.20.0-0.1
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

246.589247.885248.2671.60.70.2

Commodities

178.873179.197179.038-1.90.1-0.1

Commodities less food & beverages

142.486142.993142.908-4.10.3-0.1

Nondurables less food & beverages

177.976179.442180.153-5.31.20.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

218.212220.885223.632-7.32.51.2

Durables

109.655109.372108.646-1.9-0.9-0.7

Services

309.109311.329312.2303.71.00.3

Rent of shelter (2)

317.164318.938320.1764.90.90.4

Transportation services

289.811293.300294.6532.31.70.5

Other services

340.851341.028341.2541.50.10.1
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

236.552237.756238.1201.40.70.2

All items less food

245.920247.435247.9241.70.80.2

All items less shelter

226.868228.022228.083-0.10.50.0

Commodities less food

146.467146.937146.835-3.80.3-0.1

Nondurables

214.839215.553215.785-1.90.40.1

Nondurables less food

183.137184.472185.106-4.81.10.3

Nondurables less food and apparel

220.811223.148225.582-6.42.21.1

Services less rent of shelter (2)

333.772336.834337.3942.21.10.2

Services less medical care services

295.656297.715298.6933.71.00.3

Energy

220.077228.495232.755-10.45.81.9

All items less energy

250.593251.366251.4622.60.30.0

All items less food and energy

251.120252.047252.2102.80.40.1

Commodities less food and energy commodities

141.053140.707139.804-0.5-0.9-0.6

Energy commodities

204.648212.077218.754-18.16.93.1

Services less energy services

314.211315.969316.8603.90.80.3

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.
 

Regions defined as the four Census regions. West includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
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