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News Release Information

17-1522-SAN
Wednesday, November 15, 2017

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

Consumer Price Index, West Region — October 2017

Area prices were up 0.3 percent over the past month, up 2.9 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), increased 0.3 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The October increase was influenced by higher prices for shelter 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 rose 2.9 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) Energy prices advanced 5.0 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.0 percent over the year. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices edged down 0.2 percent for the month of October. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home declined 0.6 percent, but prices for food away from home crept up 0.2 percent for the same period.

Over the year, food prices rose 1.5 percent. Prices for food away from home increased 3.5 percent since a year ago, while prices for food at home were unchanged.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.4 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for gasoline (-3.1 percent). Prices for electricity and natural gas service both increased 0.6 percent for the same period.

Energy prices advanced 5.0 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (9.2 percent). Prices paid for electricity rose 1.9 percent, but prices for natural gas service decreased 4.1 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent in October. Higher prices for apparel (1.7 percent) and shelter (0.7 percent) were partially offset by lower prices for used cars and trucks (-0.9 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy advanced 3.0 percent. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (4.9 percent), other goods and services (4.6 percent), and medical care (2.1 percent). Partly offsetting the increases were price declines in used cars and trucks (-2.1 percent), household furnishings and operations (-0.7 percent), and education and communication (-0.4 percent).

Table A. West Region CPI-U monthly and annual percent changes (not seasonally adjusted)
Month201220132014201520162017
MonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnualMonthlyAnnual

January

0.42.60.31.70.31.7-0.30.70.52.60.52.5

February

0.42.50.82.00.41.30.60.90.12.10.63.0

March

0.92.40.41.50.61.50.81.10.21.50.33.1

April

0.22.10.01.30.31.80.31.00.5 1.80.32.9

May

0.22.00.21.30.62.30.81.20.51.50.22.6

June

-0.22.00.11.50.12.30.01.10.21.60.02.5

July

-0.31.80.01.90.12.30.31.30.11.40.12.5

August

0.52.10.11.5-0.12.1-0.11.30.01.50.22.7

September

0.52.20.21.30.12.0-0.21.00.32.00.52.9

October

0.42.5-0.10.9-0.12.00.01.10.32.30.32.9

November

-0.71.9-0.41.3-0.61.7-0.21.5-0.22.3  

December

-0.51.70.01.8-0.51.3-0.11.80.02.5  

The November 2017 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on December 13, 2017.


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-
Aug.
2017
Sep.
2017
Oct.
2017
Oct.
2016
Aug.
2017
Sep.
2017

Expenditure category

 
 

All Items

255.282256.504257.2232.90.80.3

All items (December 1977=100)

412.649414.625415.786   

Food and beverages

255.140256.241255.7511.50.2-0.2

Food

255.086256.226255.5901.50.2-0.2

Food at home

245.591246.581245.0940.0-0.2-0.6

Food away from home

267.324268.673269.2513.50.70.2

Alcoholic beverages

252.515253.075254.5671.70.80.6

Housing

278.205278.592280.1724.00.70.6

Shelter

318.929319.659321.7414.90.90.7

Rent of primary residence(1)

335.741336.493338.3644.80.80.6

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

334.579335.814337.5395.00.90.5

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

334.590335.821337.5475.00.90.5

Fuels and utilities

296.842296.756297.7691.70.30.3

Household energy

256.389255.958257.2840.70.30.5

Energy services(1)

258.781258.133259.6510.50.30.6

Electricity(1)

287.100287.179288.8771.90.60.6

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

207.598205.169206.353-4.1-0.60.6

Household furnishings and operations

128.280127.647127.713-0.7-0.40.1

Apparel

117.120120.642122.6760.14.71.7

Transportation

203.809206.646205.5923.80.9-0.5

Private transportation

198.976201.848200.2744.00.7-0.8

New and used motor vehicles(3)

100.06499.34099.057-0.5-1.0-0.3

New vehicles

145.768146.069145.898-1.20.1-0.1

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

101.245101.454101.330-1.20.1-0.1

New cars(4)

142.346142.413142.454-1.70.10.0

Used cars and trucks

134.351132.279131.139-2.1-2.4-0.9

Motor fuel

222.750236.781229.6199.33.1-3.0

Gasoline (all types)

221.923235.889228.5589.23.0-3.1

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

219.170233.275225.8659.33.1-3.2

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

212.069224.087218.1079.12.8-2.7

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

218.984231.464225.1708.82.8-2.7

Medical Care

480.581482.243483.5412.10.60.3

Medical care commodities

374.209374.072373.8014.5-0.1-0.1

Medical care services

513.883516.198518.0681.40.80.4

Professional services

352.155352.941353.5320.50.40.2

Recreation(3)

112.431112.813113.2381.00.70.4

Education and communication(3)

135.778136.162136.464-0.40.50.2

Other goods and services

425.773425.862428.2174.60.60.6
 

Commodity and Service Group

 
 

All Items

255.282256.504257.2232.90.80.3

Commodities

180.155181.816181.2561.40.6-0.3

Commodities less food & beverages

142.993144.800144.2381.40.9-0.4

Nondurables less food & beverages

183.208187.844187.1223.62.1-0.4

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

229.664235.120232.6264.81.3-1.1

Durables

106.324105.788105.371-1.7-0.9-0.4

Services

324.861325.645327.5903.70.80.6

Rent of shelter(2)

339.535340.318342.5474.90.90.7

Transportation services

300.766301.491304.5225.61.21.0

Other services

343.520344.641345.7441.10.60.3
 

Special aggregate indexes:

 
 

All items less medical care

244.982246.183246.8753.00.80.3

All items less food

255.484256.720257.6483.20.80.4

All items less shelter

230.440231.883232.0261.80.70.1

Commodities less food

147.061148.849148.3371.40.9-0.3

Nondurables

219.150222.191221.5682.51.1-0.3

Nondurables less food

188.311192.748192.1463.52.0-0.3

Nondurables less food and apparel

231.550236.564234.4294.51.2-0.9

Services less rent of shelter(2)

342.567343.442345.2342.30.80.5

Services less medical care services

311.652312.335314.2794.00.80.6

Energy

240.324248.061244.6055.01.8-1.4

All items less energy

258.492259.236260.2732.80.70.4

All items less food and energy

259.860260.539261.8633.00.80.5

Commodities less food and energy commodities

139.079139.425139.7040.00.40.2

Energy commodities

227.055241.218233.9549.33.0-3.0

Services less energy services

329.899330.774332.7523.90.90.6

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: Wednesday, November 15, 2017