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News Release Information

19-2150-SAN
Wednesday, December 11, 2019

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

Consumer Price Index, West Region — November 2019

Area prices were down 0.1 percent over the past month, up 2.8 percent from a year ago

Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), inched down 0.1 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) The November decrease was influenced by lower prices for apparel and energy. (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 increased 2.8 percent. (See chart 1 and table A.) The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent over the year. Food prices increased 2.4 percent. Energy prices rose 3.5 percent, largely the result of an increase in the price of gasoline. (See table 1.)

Food

Food prices edged down 0.1 percent for the month of November. (See table 1.) Prices for food at home decreased 0.3 percent, while prices for food away from home were unchanged for the same period.

Over the year, food prices increased 2.4 percent. Prices for food away from home rose 3.6 percent since a year ago, and prices for food at home rose 1.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index decreased 1.4 percent over the month. The decrease was mainly due to lower prices for electricity (-2.1 percent). Prices for natural gas service decreased 6.5 percent, and prices for gasoline decreased 0.5 percent for the same period.

Energy prices rose 3.5 percent over the year, largely due to higher prices for gasoline (4.6 percent). Prices paid for electricity increased 2.0 percent, and prices for natural gas service advanced 1.3 percent during the past year.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy were unchanged in November. Higher prices for other goods and services (0.8 percent), medical care (0.4 percent), and shelter (0.2 percent) helped counter lower prices for apparel (-3.8 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-0.7 percent).

Over the year, the index for all items less food and energy rose 2.8 percent. Components contributing to the increase included medical care (5.0 percent) and shelter (4.5 percent). Partly offsetting the increases was a price decrease in apparel (-2.2 percent).

Table A. West region CPI-U 1-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted
Month20152016201720182019
1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month1-month12-month

January

-0.30.70.52.60.52.50.53.10.22.7

February

0.60.90.12.10.63.00.53.10.22.4

March

0.81.10.21.50.33.10.43.20.42.4

April

0.31.00.51.80.32.90.43.20.82.9

May

0.81.20.51.50.22.60.53.50.52.9

June

0.01.10.21.60.02.50.23.60.02.7

July

0.31.30.11.40.12.50.13.60.02.7

August

-0.11.30.01.50.22.70.23.60.12.6

September

-0.21.00.32.00.52.90.33.40.32.6

October

0.01.10.32.30.32.90.43.50.52.8

November

-0.21.5-0.22.30.03.1-0.23.3-0.12.8

December

-0.11.80.02.50.13.1-0.23.1

The December 2019 Consumer Price Index for the West Region is scheduled to be released on January 14, 2020.


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/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

IndexesPercent change from-
Sep.
2019
Oct.
2019
Nov.
2019
Nov.
2018
Sep.
2019
Oct.
2019

Expenditure category

All Items

272.102273.524273.1282.80.4-0.1

All items (December 1977=100)

439.839442.137441.496   

Food and beverages

266.908267.382266.8502.20.0-0.2

Food

266.870267.487267.1072.40.1-0.1

Food at home

250.531251.030250.3501.3-0.1-0.3

Cereals and bakery products

268.127266.617266.2192.0-0.7-0.1

Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs

259.437257.933259.9111.50.20.8

Dairy and related products

231.028234.068233.6983.11.2-0.2

Fruits and vegetables

332.862336.864330.6341.2-0.7-1.8

Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials

171.955174.118174.9951.21.80.5

Other food at home

213.654212.827211.9080.2-0.8-0.4

Food away from home

288.102288.871288.8783.60.30.0

Alcoholic beverages

264.029262.665260.173-0.6-1.5-0.9

Housing

301.774302.144301.9084.10.0-0.1

Shelter

349.189349.802350.3974.50.30.2

Rent of primary residence(1)

370.096371.955373.1434.70.80.3

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

366.097367.314368.4334.40.60.3

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

366.101367.318368.4364.40.60.3

Fuels and utilities

308.582310.623305.0662.8-1.1-1.8

Household energy

259.801262.208254.4271.8-2.1-3.0

Energy services(1)

262.225264.312256.3231.9-2.3-3.0

Electricity(1)

295.549297.331290.9522.0-1.6-2.1

Utility (piped) gas service(1)

198.516201.626188.5201.3-5.0-6.5

Household furnishings and operations

134.040132.956132.0611.6-1.5-0.7

Apparel

120.198119.233114.668-2.2-4.6-3.8

Transportation

219.408223.674223.1560.91.7-0.2

Private transportation

215.030219.314218.9561.11.8-0.2

New and used motor vehicles(3)

99.71999.74399.531-1.3-0.2-0.2

New vehicles

147.517147.391147.5790.20.00.1

New cars and trucks(3)(4)

102.436102.350102.4800.20.00.1

New cars(4)

145.982145.782146.2220.80.20.3

Used cars and trucks

133.329133.071132.086-0.5-0.9-0.7

Motor fuel

267.730286.854285.6134.46.7-0.4

Gasoline (all types)

266.861286.207284.6664.66.7-0.5

Gasoline, unleaded regular(4)

263.710283.162281.5644.66.8-0.6

Gasoline, unleaded midgrade(4)(5)

255.446272.405271.4444.36.3-0.4

Gasoline, unleaded premium(4)

262.003279.515278.3004.86.2-0.4

Motor vehicle insurance(6)

847.027842.158843.534-1.3-0.40.2

Medical Care

512.817521.163523.1415.02.00.4

Medical care commodities

388.800411.526413.6477.26.40.5

Medical care services

552.011555.400557.3174.51.00.3

Professional services

358.709359.664359.6551.30.30.0

Recreation(3)

114.847115.627115.7381.30.80.1

Education and communication(3)

138.154137.928138.3011.20.10.3

Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)

1,491.7391,494.3131,495.4442.40.20.1

Other goods and services

449.522451.586455.2933.31.30.8

Commodity and Service Group

All Items

272.102273.524273.1282.80.4-0.1

Commodities

188.239190.020189.0911.70.5-0.5

Commodities less food & beverages

149.280151.460150.4301.40.8-0.7

Nondurables less food & beverages

197.192202.934200.8922.11.9-1.0

Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel

251.095261.643261.4503.54.1-0.1

Durables

106.454105.835105.6180.5-0.8-0.2

Services

350.092351.102351.2643.40.30.0

Rent of shelter(2)

371.879372.536373.1744.50.30.2

Transportation services

320.998321.753321.138-0.80.0-0.2

Other services

358.571360.056360.8782.10.60.2

Special aggregate indexes:

All items less medical care

261.099262.221261.7242.60.2-0.2

All items less food

273.100274.649274.2492.90.4-0.1

All items less shelter

241.866243.616242.8211.90.4-0.3

Commodities less food

153.538155.642154.5651.30.7-0.7

Nondurables

232.299235.675234.3062.10.9-0.6

Nondurables less food

202.233207.598205.5181.91.6-1.0

Nondurables less food and apparel

252.020261.427261.0173.13.6-0.2

Services less rent of shelter(2)

361.575363.142362.7222.10.3-0.1

Services less medical care services

335.975336.825336.8733.30.30.0

Energy

268.626281.399277.5423.53.3-1.4

All items less energy

274.619275.227275.0792.80.2-0.1

All items less food and energy

276.778277.386277.2772.80.20.0

Commodities less food and energy commodities

141.049141.127140.0620.6-0.7-0.8

Energy commodities

272.235291.662290.3904.46.7-0.4

Services less energy services

356.528357.483358.0933.50.40.2

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) 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.
(6) Indexes on a December 1977=100 base.

- Data not available
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, December 11, 2019