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FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Patrick C. Jackman (202) 606-7000 USDL-97-93 CPI QUICKLINE: (202) 606-6994 TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN FOR CURRENT AND HISTORICAL THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED INFORMATION: (202) 606-7828 UNTIL 8:30 A.M. (EST) MEDIA CONTACT: (202) 606-5902 Wednesday, March 19, 1997 INTERNET ADDRESS: http://stats.bls.gov/cpihome.htm CONSUMER PRICE INDEX: FEBRUARY 1997 The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent before seasonal adjustment in February to a level of 159.6 (198284=100), the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. For the 12-month period ended in February, the CPI-U increased 3.0 percent. The Consumer (CPI-W) also rose The February 1997 index in February Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers 0.3 percent in February, prior to seasonal adjustment. CPI-W level of 156.8 was 3.0 percent higher than the 1996. CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.3 percent in February, following an increase of 0.1 percent in January. The food index, which declined 0.3 percent in January, advanced 0.3 percent in February. The index for grocery store food prices increased 0.5 percent, reflecting an 8.9 percent rise in the index for fresh vegetables. The energy index--up 0.3 percent in February--continued to increase, but by less than in recent months. The index for petroleum-based energy turned down in February, declining 0.2 percent, while the index for energy services rose 0.7 percent. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent. This compares with a 0.1 percent rise in January, but was the same as the average monthly increase in all of 1996. Table A. Percent changes in CPI for Urban Consumers (CPI-U) Seasonally adjusted UnCompound adjusted Expenditure Changes from preceding month annual rate 12-mos. Category 1996 1997 3-mos. ended ended Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 97 All Items .2 .3 .3 .3 .3 .1 .3 Food and beverages .4 .5 .5 .4 .0 -.2 .3 Housing .2 .2 .3 .3 .2 .3 .3 Apparel and upkeep -.9 .5 .2 .3 .1 .4 .2 Transportation .0 .5 .3 .3 .6 -.2 -.1 Medical care .2 .3 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 Entertainment .2 .1 .3 .2 .3 .0 .2 Other goods and services .4 .1 .3 .4 .1 .4 .5 Special Indexes: Energy -.2 .2 1.1 1.2 1.5 .8 .3 Food .4 .5 .5 .4 .0 -.3 .3 All items less food and energy .1 .3 .2 .2 .2 .1 .2 Feb. '97 Feb.'97 2.5 .5 3.1 2.8 1.4 2.3 2.0 3.0 3.7 3.0 .5 3.1 2.9 2.2 3.9 3.8 10.8 .3 7.8 3.8 2.2 2.5 The food and beverage index increased 0.3 percent in February. The index for grocery store food prices, which fell 0.6 percent in January, increased 0.5 percent in February. The February food advance reflects a sharp upturn in the index for fruits and vegetables, which rose 3.0 percent after declining 2.0 percent in January. The index for fresh vegetables increased 8.9 percent as a result of a late January freeze in the Southeastern part of the country. The index for fresh fruits increased 1.3 percent, while the index for processed fruits and vegetables declined slightly. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, fresh fruit prices fell 3.2 percent.) The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs declined for the second consecutive month--down 0.2 percent in February. In this group, prior to seasonal adjustment, price declines were registered for beef, pork, poultry, fish and seafood, and eggs. The 1.1 percent decrease in the index for dairy products was the fourth consecutive month in which the index failed to advance after increases totaling 8.5 percent in the preceding five-month period. The indexes for cereal and bakery products and for other food at home increased 0.1 and 0.2 percent, respectively. The other two components of the food and beverage index--restaurant meals and alcoholic beverages--each increased 0.2 percent. The housing component rose 0.3 percent in February. Shelter costs also increased 0.3 percent. Within shelter, renters' costs and homeowners' costs each rose 0.3 percent, and maintenance and repair costs increased 0.6 percent. The rise in renters' costs reflected a 0.9 percent increase in the index for other renters' costs; residential rents rose 0.1 percent. The index for fuel and other utilities rose 0.3 percent in February. The index for household fuels increased 0.5 percent, as a 1.6 percent decline in fuel oil prices partially offset increases in charges for natural gas and electricity of 1.2 and 0.5 percent, respectively. For the 12-month period ended in February, charges for natural gas have increased 14.4 percent. In February, the index for other utilities and public services was unchanged. The index for household furnishings and operation, which declined 0.2 percent in January, increased 0.2 percent in February, reflecting a return to regular prices after widespread sales in January. The transportation component, which declined 0.2 percent in January, fell 0.1 percent in February. Public transportation costs fell sharply for the second consecutive month. The index for airline fares, which increased 2.3 percent in December, fell 3.2 percent in January and 2.6 percent in February. The declines in early 1997 reflect, in part, the lapse of the 10 percent federal tax on airline fares on January 1; the tax was reimposed effective March 7. The index for gasoline, which had advanced 6.6 percent in the preceding four months, was unchanged in February. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices declined 0.5 percent in February.) The index for gasoline prices has risen 13.3 percent in the last 14 months, and as of February was 5.4 percent below its peak level of December 1990. New vehicle purchase costs continued to show little change in February; the index for new vehicle prices was unchanged, while automobile finance charges increased 0.2 percent. The index for used cars increased 0.5 percent in February. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, used car prices fell 0.2 percent.) The index for apparel and upkeep increased for the sixth consecutive month in February--up 0.2 percent. (Prior to seasonal adjustment, clothing prices rose 1.9 percent in February, reflecting the introduction of higherpriced spring-summer wear.) Medical care costs rose 0.2 percent in February to a level 2.9 percent above a year ago. The index for medical care commodities--prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and medical supplies--increased 0.3 percent. The index for medical care services rose 0.2 percent. Charges for professional services and hospital and related services each increased 0.1 percent. Entertainment costs, which were unchanged on average in January, rose 0.2 percent in February, principally as a result of a 0.8 percent increase in the index for admissions to movies, theaters, concerts, and sporting events. The index for other goods and services rose 0.5 percent in February. Increases in the indexes for tobacco and smoking products and for personal expenses-up 0.6 and 0.8 percent, respectively-were largely responsible for the February rise in this major group. CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers rose 0.2 percent in February. Table B. Percent changes in CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) Seasonally adjusted UnCompound adjusted Expenditure Changes from preceding month annual rate 12-mos. Category 1996 1997 3-mos. ended ended Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. '97 Feb. '97 All Items .1 .3 .4 .3 .3 .1 .2 2.3 3.0 Food and beverages .4 .4 .5 .4 .1 -.2 .2 .3 3.8 Housing .2 .1 .3 .3 .2 .3 .2 2.9 3.0 Apparel and upkeep-1.0 .5 .2 .3 .1 .4 .4 3.4 .7 Transportation .0 .4 .4 .3 .6 .0 .0 2.5 3.1 Medical care .2 .3 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 2.3 2.9 Entertainment .3 .1 .3 .3 .3 .0 .1 1.8 2.1 Other goods and services .3 .2 .3 .4 .0 .6 .4 4.1 3.7 Special Indexes: Energy -.3 .1 1.2 1.4 1.5 .9 .3 11.2 8.2 Food .4 .4 .6 .3 .1 -.3 .3 .3 3.8 All items less food and energy .1 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 2.2 2.4 After seasonal adjustment, the level of the CPI-U for All Items was 159.8 in February; the seasonally adjusted CPI-W for All Items was 156.9. Beginning with January 1997 data, BLS is reporting the level of the seasonally adjusted U.S. City Average All Items CPI-U and CPI-W in this monthly news release. Effective with the release of January 1998 data in February 1998, the seasonally adjusted All Items indexes will be fully integrated into the releases, appearing in tables 2 and 5 and in the text where relevant. Like other seasonally adjusted CPI data, the All Items index levels are subject to revision for up to five years after their original release. For this reason, BLS advises against the use of these data in escalation agreements. Consumer Price Index data for March are scheduled for release on Tuesday, April 15, 1997, at 8:30 A.M. (EDT). A Note on Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Data Because price data are used for different purposes by different groups, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes seasonally adjusted as well as unadjusted changes each month. For analyzing general price trends in the economy, seasonally adjusted changes are usually preferred since they eliminate the effect of changes that normally occur at the same time and in about the same magnitude every year--such as price movements resulting from changing climatic conditions, production cycles, model changeovers, holidays, and sales. The unadjusted data are of primary interest to consumers concerned about the prices they actually pay. Unadjusted data also are used extensively for escalation purposes. Many collective bargaining contract agreements and pension plans, for example, tie compensation changes to the Consumer Price Index unadjusted for seasonal variation. Seasonal factors used in computing the seasonally adjusted indexes are derived by the X-11-ARIMA Seasonal Adjustment Method (1988). The updated seasonal data at the end of 1977 replaced data from 1967 through 1977. Subsequent annual updates have replaced 5 years of seasonal data, e.g., data from 1992 through 1996 were replaced at the end of 1996. The seasonal movement of all items and 47 other aggregations is derived by combining the seasonal movement of 60 selected components. Each year the seasonal status of every series is reevaluated based upon certain statistical criteria. If any of the 60 components change their seasonal adjustment status from seasonally adjusted to not seasonally adjusted, not seasonally adjusted data will be used for the last 5 years, but the seasonally adjusted indexes will be used before that period. Effective with the calculation of the seasonal factors for 1990, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has used an enhanced seasonal adjustment procedure called Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment for some CPI series. Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment allows for better estimates of seasonally adjusted data. Extreme values and/or sharp movements which might distort the seasonal pattern are estimated and removed from the data prior to calculation of seasonal factors. Beginning with the calculation of seasonal factors for 1996, X-12-ARIMA software was used for Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment. For the fuel oil and the motor fuels indexes, this procedure was used to offset the effects that extreme price volatility would otherwise have had on the estimates of seasonally adjusted data for those series. For some women's apparel indexes and the girls' apparel index, the procedure was used to offset the effects of changes in pricing methodology. For the tobacco and smoking products index, this procedure was used to offset the effects of increases in excise taxes and wholesale tobacco prices. For some alcoholic beverage series, Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment was used to offset the effects of excise tax increases. For the nonalcoholic beverages index, the procedure was used to offset the effects of a large increase in coffee prices due to adverse weather. For the water and sewerage maintenance index, the procedure was used to account for a data collection anomaly. A description of Intervention Analysis Seasonal Adjustment, as well as a list of unusual events modeled and seasonal factors for these items, may be obtained by writing the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Consumer Prices and Price Indexes, Washington, DC 20212 or by calling Claire McAnaw Gallagher on (202) 606-6968. Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Relative Unadjusted indexes importance, December Jan. Feb. 1996 1997 1997 Expenditure category Unadjusted percent change to Feb. 1997 fromFeb. 1996 Jan. 1997 Seasonally adjusted percent change fromNov. to Dec. to Jan. to Dec. Jan. Feb. All items .................................. All items (1967=100) ....................... 100.000 - 159.1 476.7 159.6 478.2 3.0 - 0.3 - 0.3 - 0.1 - 0.3 - Food and beverages ....................... Food ................................... Food at home ......................... Cereals and bakery products ........ Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..... Dairy products 1/ .................. Fruits and vegetables 2/ ........... Other food at home ................. Sugar and sweets ................. Fats and oils .................... Nonalcoholic beverages ........... Other prepared food .............. Food away from home .................. Alcoholic beverages .................... 17.484 15.913 10.040 1.479 3.002 1.245 1.974 2.340 .331 .246 .724 1.039 5.873 1.571 156.9 156.5 157.9 176.5 149.6 147.8 187.3 144.8 146.9 142.3 128.3 159.4 155.3 161.1 156.9 156.5 157.7 176.7 148.8 146.2 187.4 145.4 147.2 142.7 128.5 160.6 155.6 161.8 3.7 3.8 4.2 2.7 4.5 6.6 5.5 2.5 4.0 2.1 -1.1 4.7 3.1 3.3 .0 .0 -.1 .1 -.5 -1.1 .1 .4 .2 .3 .2 .8 .2 .4 .0 .0 -.1 .2 .6 -.5 -1.5 .3 .6 .1 .2 .3 .2 .3 -.2 -.3 -.6 -.2 -.4 -.5 -2.0 .1 .6 -.1 .2 -.1 .3 .2 .3 .3 .5 .1 -.2 -1.1 3.0 .2 .0 .1 -.5 .8 .2 .2 Housing 2/ ............................... Shelter ................................ Renters' costs 3/ 4/.................. Rent, residential .................. Other renters' costs 4/ ............ Homeowners' costs 3/ 4/............... Owners' equivalent rent 3/ ......... Household insurance 3/ 4/ .......... Maintenance and repairs 1/ 4/ ........ Maintenance and repair services 1/ 4/ ................. Maintenance and repair commodities 1/ 4/ .............. Fuel and other utilities 2/ ............ Fuels ................................ Fuel oil and other household fuel commodities .................... Gas (piped) and electricity (energy services)....................... Other utilities and public services 4/ ...................... Household furnishings and operation 2/ . Housefurnishings 4/ .................. Housekeeping supplies ................ Housekeeping services 4/ ............. 41.203 28.194 7.994 5.731 2.263 20.000 19.616 .383 .200 155.1 173.6 182.7 164.4 217.3 179.1 179.5 162.6 141.5 155.8 174.6 185.3 164.8 226.4 179.5 179.9 163.8 142.3 3.0 3.1 3.6 2.7 5.7 2.8 2.8 3.3 3.9 .5 .6 1.4 .2 4.2 .2 .2 .7 .6 .2 .2 .1 .2 -.2 .2 .2 -1.2 .3 .3 .3 .6 .2 1.4 .2 .2 .2 .0 .3 .3 .3 .1 .9 .3 .3 .9 .6 .123 148.2 148.4 3.8 .1 .3 .1 .1 .077 7.102 3.878 132.5 130.8 119.1 133.9 131.0 119.2 4.0 4.8 6.0 1.1 .2 .1 .2 .5 .8 -.1 .7 1.0 1.1 .3 .5 .424 111.5 109.6 12.2 -1.7 2.9 -1.2 -1.9 3.453 124.9 125.3 5.2 .3 .4 1.4 .7 3.224 5.908 3.332 1.093 1.482 159.7 124.9 110.8 142.3 149.6 160.2 125.2 111.2 142.5 149.9 3.4 .7 -.2 1.5 2.5 .3 .2 .4 .1 .2 .3 .2 .2 .0 .3 .3 -.2 -.4 .4 -.5 .0 .2 .2 .1 .1 Apparel and upkeep ....................... Apparel commodities 4/ ................. Men's and boys' apparel .............. Women's and girls' apparel............ Infants' and toddlers' apparel 1/ .... Footwear ............................. Other apparel commodities 4/.......... Apparel services 1/ 4/ ................. 5.330 4.786 1.280 2.102 .186 .718 .500 .545 129.6 125.8 127.0 121.5 127.9 125.0 145.6 161.7 131.9 128.2 127.3 126.1 127.2 126.3 146.9 162.2 .5 .3 .7 1.2 -5.4 .4 -1.9 2.3 1.8 1.9 .2 3.8 -.5 1.0 .9 .3 .1 .0 -.5 .7 .2 .3 -1.9 .4 .4 .5 1.0 .6 .8 -.8 .1 .1 .2 .2 -.9 .7 -.5 .2 .7 .3 Transportation ........................... Private transportation ................. New vehicles ......................... New cars ........................... Used cars ............................ Motor fuel ........................... Gasoline ........................... Maintenance and repairs .............. Other private transportation 4/....... Other private transportation commodities 4/.................. Other private transportation services 4/ .................... Public transportation .................. 17.140 15.499 4.955 3.952 1.278 3.171 1.533 4.562 145.0 141.8 145.4 143.0 154.7 108.6 107.9 161.1 176.2 144.8 141.9 145.4 142.9 154.4 108.1 107.4 161.2 177.1 3.1 3.2 1.3 1.1 -2.0 10.1 9.8 2.9 2.3 -.1 .1 .0 -.1 -.2 -.5 -.5 .1 .5 .6 .6 .1 .1 -.4 2.5 2.5 .2 .0 -.2 .1 -.2 -.2 .1 .6 .7 .4 -.1 -.1 .2 .0 .0 .5 .0 .0 -.1 .5 .589 105.2 105.4 .0 .2 -.1 -.2 .3 3.973 1.642 193.0 185.8 194.1 182.4 2.6 2.8 .6 -1.8 .0 1.4 -.1 -2.9 .6 -2.0 Medical care ............................. Medical care commodities ............... Medical care services .................. Professional medical services ........ 7.346 1.273 6.073 3.472 231.8 212.8 236.3 212.2 232.7 213.9 237.1 213.2 2.9 2.6 3.0 3.4 .4 .5 .3 .5 .2 .1 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .4 .2 .3 .2 .1 Entertainment 4/ ......................... Entertainment commodities 4/ ........... Entertainment services 4/ .............. 4.352 1.957 2.395 161.3 144.2 181.3 161.8 144.3 182.1 2.2 1.3 2.9 .3 .1 .4 .3 .3 .3 .0 -.3 .2 .2 .1 .3 Other goods and services 2/ .............. Tobacco and smoking products ........... Personal care 1/ ....................... Toilet goods and personal care appliances 1/ .................... Personal care services 1/ ............ Personal and educational expenses 4/ ... School books and supplies ............ Personal and educational services 4/ . 7.145 1.601 1.145 220.0 236.4 151.6 220.7 237.4 151.5 3.8 3.3 1.5 .3 .4 -.1 .1 -.3 -.5 .4 .4 .7 .5 .6 -.1 .588 .557 4.398 .264 4.134 143.6 160.7 254.0 234.5 255.8 143.3 160.7 255.0 235.3 256.7 -.6 3.5 4.6 4.7 4.6 -.2 .0 .4 .3 .4 -1.3 .4 .4 .4 .4 .6 .9 .3 -.1 .4 -.2 .0 .6 .4 .6 Table 1. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) - Continued Relative Unadjusted indexes importance, December Jan. Feb. 1996 1997 1997 Unadjusted percent change to Feb. 1997 fromFeb. 1996 Jan. 1997 Seasonally adjusted percent change fromNov. to Dec. to Jan. to Dec. Jan. Feb. Commodity and service group All items .................................. Commodities .............................. Food and beverages ..................... Commodities less food and beverages .... Nondurables less food and beverages .. Apparel commodities 4/ ............. Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .................... Durables ............................. Services ................................. Rent of shelter 3/ ..................... Household services less rent of shelter 3/ 4/....................... Transportation services ................ Medical care services .................. Other services ......................... 100.000 42.873 17.484 25.389 15.147 4.786 159.1 141.5 156.9 132.1 133.8 125.8 159.6 141.8 156.9 132.6 134.6 128.2 3.0 2.8 3.7 2.1 3.3 .3 .3 .2 .0 .4 .6 1.9 .3 .2 .0 .3 .7 .0 .1 .0 -.2 .2 .1 .5 .3 .2 .3 .1 .3 .2 10.362 10.242 57.127 27.577 141.0 129.7 177.0 180.6 141.0 129.8 177.7 181.6 4.8 .3 3.2 3.0 .0 .1 .4 .6 1.1 .1 .3 .2 .3 -.2 .2 .3 .1 .1 .2 .3 8.698 7.148 6.073 7.631 144.6 183.5 236.3 205.9 145.0 183.4 237.1 206.7 3.9 2.7 3.0 3.9 .3 -.1 .3 .4 .2 .4 .2 .3 .6 -.7 .2 .3 .4 -.1 .2 .4 84.087 71.806 80.000 92.654 26.960 16.718 11.932 32.631 29.550 51.054 159.6 155.0 160.2 155.0 133.3 135.4 142.0 145.5 185.9 171.5 160.2 155.3 160.8 155.5 133.8 136.2 142.1 145.9 186.4 172.2 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.0 2.1 3.3 4.6 3.5 3.4 3.2 .4 .2 .4 .3 .4 .6 .1 .3 .3 .4 .3 .3 .3 .3 .4 .7 .7 .3 .3 .3 .2 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .2 .2 .2 .2 .3 .1 .2 .1 .3 .2 .2 Special indexes All items less food ........................ All items less shelter ..................... All items less homeowners' costs 3/ 4/...... All items less medical care ................ Commodities less food ...................... Nondurables less food ...................... Nondurables less food and apparel .......... Nondurables ................................ Services less rent of shelter 3/ 4/ ........ Services less medical care services ........ Energy ..................................... All items less energy ...................... All items less food and energy ........... Commodities less food and energy commodities ................. Energy commodities ................... Services less energy services .......... Purchasing power of the consumer dollar: 1982-84=$1.00 1/ ......................... 1967=$1.00 1/ ............................ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ NOTE: 7.049 92.951 77.038 113.3 165.3 167.5 113.1 165.9 168.3 7.8 2.7 2.5 -.2 .4 .5 1.5 .1 .2 .8 .1 .1 .3 .2 .2 23.364 3.596 53.674 141.5 109.2 182.4 142.2 108.6 183.1 1.0 10.5 3.1 .5 -.5 .4 .1 2.6 .3 .1 .4 .1 .1 -.2 .3 - $.628 .210 $.626 .209 -2.9 - -.3 - .0 - -.5 - -.3 - Not seasonally adjusted. This index series will undergo a change in composition in January, 1998. Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. This index series will no longer appear in its present form after December, 1997. See Table X for a comparable index series. Data not available. Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 2. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Seasonally adjusted U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Seasonally adjusted indexes Nov. 1996 Dec. 1996 Jan. 1997 Feb. 1997 May 1996 Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent change for 3 months ended6 months endedAug. Nov. Feb. Aug. Feb. 1996 1996 1997 1996 1997 Expenditure category All items .................................... Food and beverages ......................... Food ..................................... Food at home ........................... Cereals and bakery products .......... Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....... Dairy products 1/ .................... Fruits and vegetables 2/.............. Other food at home ................... Sugar and sweets ................... 156.6 156.4 157.8 176.3 148.4 149.3 188.7 144.0 145.2 156.6 156.4 157.7 176.6 149.3 148.6 185.9 144.4 146.0 156.3 156.0 156.7 176.3 148.7 147.8 182.2 144.5 146.9 156.8 156.5 157.5 176.4 148.4 146.2 187.7 144.8 146.9 3.7 2.3 3.6 2.5 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.5 4.3 .0 1.2 10.0 3.1 4.6 5.9 6.2 8.4 2.1 11.4 22.0 7.7 1.7 4.0 5.3 5.3 6.0 4.4 7.0 13.6 6.4 2.5 2.2 .5 .3 -.8 .2 .0 -8.1 -2.1 2.2 4.8 4.5 4.7 5.9 3.2 5.6 11.1 8.8 2.4 4.3 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.3 3.5 2.2 2.1 2.4 3.5 Fats and oils ...................... Nonalcoholic beverages ............. Other prepared food ................ Food away from home .................... Alcoholic beverages ...................... 141.8 127.5 159.1 154.6 160.6 142.0 127.7 159.6 154.9 161.1 141.9 127.9 159.4 155.3 161.4 142.1 127.3 160.6 155.6 161.8 2.0 .9 5.0 2.7 3.4 3.5 -.6 2.3 2.9 3.1 2.3 -4.3 7.6 4.0 3.8 .8 -.6 3.8 2.6 3.0 2.8 .2 3.7 2.8 3.2 1.6 -2.5 5.7 3.3 3.4 Housing 2/ ................................. Shelter .................................. Renters' costs 3/ 4/.................... Rent, residential .................... Other renters' costs 4/ .............. Homeowners' costs 3/ 4/ ................ Owners' equivalent rent 3/ ........... Household insurance 3/ 4/ ............ Maintenance and repairs 1/ 4/ .......... Maintenance and repair services 1/ 4/ Maintenance and repair commodities 1/ 4/ ................ Fuel and other utilities 2/............... Fuels .................................. Fuel oil and other household fuel commodities ...................... Gas (piped) and electricity (energy services)......................... Other utilities and public services 4/ . Household furnishings and operation 2/ ... Housefurnishings 4/ .................... Housekeeping supplies .................. Housekeeping services 4/ ............... 154.4 172.6 181.5 163.6 218.4 178.3 178.6 164.5 141.1 147.6 154.7 172.9 181.7 164.0 218.0 178.6 179.0 162.5 141.5 148.0 155.2 173.4 182.8 164.4 221.1 179.0 179.3 162.9 141.5 148.2 155.6 174.0 183.4 164.6 223.1 179.5 179.9 164.3 142.3 148.4 2.9 2.9 3.0 2.8 3.7 2.8 2.8 2.3 5.4 4.8 2.7 3.1 3.9 2.8 6.7 2.8 2.8 4.6 2.6 6.8 3.2 2.8 3.1 2.7 3.9 2.7 2.7 7.1 4.1 1.4 3.1 3.3 4.3 2.5 8.9 2.7 2.9 -.5 3.4 2.2 2.8 3.0 3.4 2.8 5.2 2.8 2.8 3.4 4.0 5.8 3.2 3.1 3.7 2.6 6.4 2.7 2.8 3.2 3.8 1.8 132.3 129.6 116.7 132.6 130.3 117.6 132.5 131.2 118.8 133.9 131.6 119.4 6.7 4.9 4.3 -3.9 2.9 2.1 8.6 5.1 7.2 4.9 6.3 9.6 1.2 3.9 3.2 6.7 5.7 8.4 106.4 109.5 108.2 106.1 20.9 -14.5 54.7 -1.1 1.7 23.7 123.1 159.2 125.0 111.2 141.7 149.9 123.6 159.6 125.2 111.4 141.7 150.3 125.3 160.0 124.9 111.0 142.3 149.6 126.2 160.0 125.1 111.2 142.5 149.7 3.0 5.0 .6 -.7 1.4 3.3 4.0 3.4 1.3 .0 .9 3.9 3.0 3.3 1.0 .0 1.4 3.3 10.5 2.0 .3 .0 2.3 -.5 3.5 4.2 1.0 -.4 1.1 3.6 6.7 2.7 .6 .0 1.8 1.3 Apparel and upkeep ......................... Apparel commodities 4/ ................... Men's and boys' apparel ................ Women's and girls' apparel ............. Infants' and toddlers' apparel 1/ ...... Footwear ............................... Other apparel commodities 4/............ Apparel services 1/ 4/ ................... 131.7 128.0 128.8 124.0 126.7 127.0 149.5 160.9 131.8 128.0 128.2 124.9 126.9 127.4 146.7 161.5 132.3 128.6 129.5 125.7 127.9 126.4 146.8 161.7 132.6 128.8 128.3 126.6 127.2 126.7 147.9 162.2 .6 .3 1.6 1.0 -11.4 1.0 1.3 2.3 -5.3 -6.1 -.6 -10.4 -15.3 .0 -6.5 2.3 4.4 4.8 3.5 6.7 5.2 1.6 2.2 1.5 2.8 2.5 -1.5 8.7 1.6 -.9 -4.2 3.3 -2.4 -2.9 .5 -4.9 -13.4 .5 -2.6 2.3 3.6 3.7 .9 7.7 3.4 .3 -1.1 2.4 Transportation ............................. Private transportation ................... New vehicles ........................... New cars ............................. Used cars .............................. Motor fuel ............................. 144.8 141.5 144.6 142.1 155.6 108.4 145.7 142.3 144.7 142.2 155.0 111.1 145.4 142.4 144.4 141.9 155.1 111.8 145.3 142.7 144.4 141.9 155.8 111.8 7.9 8.0 2.0 1.7 -3.7 38.4 -1.4 -2.0 2.5 3.2 -3.3 -17.6 4.8 3.8 1.4 .3 -1.3 13.6 1.4 3.4 -.6 -.6 .5 13.1 3.1 2.9 2.3 2.4 -3.5 6.8 3.1 3.6 .4 -.1 -.4 13.4 Gasoline ............................. Maintenance and repairs ................ Other private transportation 4/......... Other private transportation commodities 4/.................... Other private transportation services 4/ ...................... Public transportation .................... 107.8 160.3 175.3 110.5 160.7 175.3 111.3 161.3 175.2 111.3 161.2 176.1 37.0 2.6 1.6 -17.3 3.1 4.0 12.8 4.1 1.4 13.6 2.3 1.8 6.4 2.8 2.8 13.2 3.2 1.6 105.1 105.0 104.8 105.1 -.4 .0 .4 .0 -.2 .2 192.1 188.5 192.1 191.2 192.0 185.6 193.1 181.9 1.9 8.4 4.5 4.5 1.7 13.8 2.1 -13.3 3.2 6.4 1.9 -.7 Medical care ............................... Medical care commodities ................. Medical care services .................... Professional medical services .......... Entertainment 4/ ........................... Entertainment commodities 4/ ............. Entertainment services 4/ ................ 231.0 212.1 235.1 211.2 160.6 144.0 180.2 231.5 212.4 235.6 211.6 161.1 144.4 180.8 231.9 212.8 236.0 212.4 161.1 144.0 181.1 232.3 213.5 236.4 212.7 161.4 144.2 181.6 3.2 3.1 3.3 3.3 1.8 .8 2.3 2.8 2.5 3.0 3.5 2.3 2.0 2.7 3.0 1.9 3.1 3.9 2.5 1.7 3.4 2.3 2.7 2.2 2.9 2.0 .6 3.1 3.0 2.8 3.2 3.4 2.0 1.4 2.5 2.6 2.3 2.7 3.4 2.3 1.1 3.3 Other goods and services 2/................. Tobacco and smoking products ............. Personal care 1/ ......................... Toilet goods and personal care appliances 1/ ...................... Personal care services 1/ .............. Personal and educational expenses 4/ ..... School books and supplies .............. Personal and educational services 4/ ... 219.2 236.0 151.2 219.4 235.3 150.5 220.3 236.2 151.6 221.3 237.6 151.5 4.4 3.9 2.7 3.6 1.6 .5 3.4 5.1 1.9 3.9 2.7 .8 4.0 2.7 1.6 3.6 3.9 1.3 144.7 158.6 251.7 231.5 253.1 142.8 159.2 252.7 232.5 254.1 143.6 160.7 253.5 232.2 255.0 143.3 160.7 255.0 233.2 256.5 3.4 1.6 5.0 5.1 5.0 -.8 1.8 5.1 6.0 5.1 -.8 5.5 3.2 5.0 3.1 -3.8 5.4 5.3 3.0 5.5 1.3 1.7 5.1 5.6 5.0 -2.3 5.4 4.3 4.0 4.3 Table 2. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): Seasonally adjusted U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group - Continued (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Seasonally adjusted indexes Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. May Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent change for 3 months ended6 months endedAug. Nov. Feb. Aug. Feb. 1996 1996 1997 1997 1996 1996 1996 1997 1996 1997 Commodity and service group All items .................................... Commodities ................................ Food and beverages ....................... Commodities less food and beverages ...... Nondurables less food and beverages .... Apparel commodities 4/ ............... Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel ...................... Durables ............................... Services ................................... Rent of shelter 3/ ....................... Household services less rent of shelter 3/ 4/...................... Transportation services .................. Medical care services .................... Other services ........................... 141.5 156.6 132.4 134.3 128.0 141.8 156.6 132.8 135.2 128.0 141.8 156.3 133.0 135.3 128.6 142.1 156.8 133.1 135.7 128.8 3.7 4.4 3.2 5.3 8.8 .3 2.3 .3 5.9 -3.3 -5.8 -6.1 3.6 4.7 5.3 4.3 6.8 4.8 2.5 1.7 .5 2.1 4.2 2.5 3.0 2.3 4.5 .9 1.2 -2.9 3.1 3.2 2.9 3.2 5.5 3.7 140.2 129.6 176.3 179.9 141.8 129.7 176.8 180.3 142.2 129.5 177.2 180.8 142.3 129.6 177.6 181.3 13.6 .3 3.3 3.0 -6.4 .6 3.3 3.2 6.5 .6 3.2 2.7 6.1 .0 3.0 3.1 3.1 .5 3.3 3.1 6.3 .3 3.1 2.9 144.0 183.4 235.1 204.7 144.3 184.1 235.6 205.4 145.1 182.9 236.0 206.1 145.7 182.7 236.4 206.9 4.4 3.6 3.3 3.7 3.4 4.1 3.0 3.8 3.4 4.9 3.1 3.4 4.8 -1.5 2.2 4.4 3.9 3.9 3.2 3.7 4.1 1.7 2.7 3.9 159.1 154.7 159.9 154.5 133.6 135.8 141.8 145.5 185.1 170.8 112.0 165.2 167.4 159.6 155.1 160.3 154.9 134.1 136.7 142.8 146.0 185.7 171.3 113.7 165.4 167.7 159.9 155.2 160.5 155.1 134.2 136.8 142.9 146.1 185.9 171.7 114.6 165.5 167.9 160.2 155.5 160.8 155.5 134.4 137.1 143.1 146.5 186.2 172.0 114.9 165.9 168.3 3.9 4.0 4.2 3.8 5.0 8.4 10.6 4.9 3.8 3.4 18.4 2.8 2.7 1.5 1.8 2.0 2.1 -2.7 -5.2 -2.8 1.1 3.6 3.4 -7.3 2.7 2.2 3.3 4.0 3.8 3.7 4.0 6.8 7.1 5.4 3.8 3.3 10.3 3.5 2.9 2.8 2.1 2.3 2.6 2.4 3.9 3.7 2.8 2.4 2.8 10.8 1.7 2.2 2.7 2.9 3.1 2.9 1.1 1.4 3.7 3.0 3.7 3.4 4.7 2.7 2.5 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.2 5.3 5.4 4.1 3.1 3.1 10.5 2.6 2.5 141.8 108.3 181.7 141.9 111.1 182.2 142.0 111.5 182.4 142.2 111.3 182.9 1.1 36.7 3.2 -.3 -17.4 3.4 2.0 17.6 3.1 1.1 11.5 2.7 .4 6.2 3.3 1.6 14.5 2.9 Special indexes All items less food .......................... All items less shelter ....................... All items less homeowners' costs 3/ 4/........ All items less medical care .................. Commodities less food ........................ Nondurables less food ........................ Nondurables less food and apparel ............ Nondurables .................................. Services less rent of shelter 3/ ............. Services less medical care services .......... Energy ....................................... All items less energy ........................ All items less food and energy ............. Commodities less food and energy commodities .......................... Energy commodities ..................... Services less energy services ............ 1/ 2/ 3/ Not seasonally adjusted. This index series will undergo a change in composition in January, 1998. Indexes on a December 1982=100 base. 4/ NOTE: This index series will no longer appear in its present form after December, 1997. See Table X for a comparable index series. Data not available. Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 3. Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Selected areas, all items index (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Indexes Percent change to Feb. 1997 fromFeb. Dec. Jan. 1996 1996 1997 Percent change to Jan. 1997 fromJan. Nov. Dec. 1996 1996 1996 Area Pricing schedule 1/ U.S. city average ...................... M 158.6 158.6 159.1 159.6 3.0 0.6 0.3 3.0 0.3 0.3 Northeast urban......................... Size A - More than 1,200,000 ........ Size B - 500,000 to 1,200,000 3/..... Size C - 50,000 to 500,000 3/........ M M M M 165.4 166.0 163.1 164.3 165.7 166.2 164.3 164.6 166.2 166.8 164.2 164.7 166.9 167.7 164.2 165.3 2.9 2.9 3.1 2.9 .7 .9 -.1 .4 .4 .5 .0 .4 3.0 2.8 3.5 3.1 .5 .5 .7 .2 .3 .4 -.1 .1 North Central urban .................... Size A - More than 1,200,000 ........ Size B - 360,000 to 1,200,000 3/..... Size C - 50,000 to 360,000 3/........ Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ......... M M M M 155.0 155.3 154.5 157.1 155.3 155.5 154.5 157.7 155.5 156.0 154.3 157.8 155.9 156.5 154.4 158.3 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.9 .4 .6 -.1 .4 .3 .3 .1 .3 3.5 3.3 3.8 3.7 .3 .5 -.1 .4 .1 .3 -.1 .1 M 151.9 151.9 152.2 152.1 3.5 .1 -.1 3.9 .2 .2 South urban Size A Size B Size C Size D - ............................ More than 1,200,000 ........ 450,000 to 1,200,000 3/..... 50,000 to 450,000 3/........ Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ......... M M M M 155.1 153.8 158.2 154.7 155.1 154.0 158.2 154.4 155.7 154.9 158.5 155.0 156.1 155.2 158.9 155.6 3.0 3.1 3.1 2.8 .6 .8 .4 .8 .3 .2 .3 .4 3.0 3.0 3.5 2.6 .4 .7 .2 .2 .4 .6 .2 .4 M 154.6 154.4 154.8 155.5 3.6 .7 .5 3.3 .1 .3 West urban ............................. Size A - More than 1,250,000 ........ Size C - 50,000 to 330,000 3/........ M M M 159.2 159.1 163.9 158.7 158.7 163.9 159.6 159.6 164.9 160.1 160.1 165.4 2.8 2.7 2.9 .9 .9 .9 .3 .3 .3 2.8 2.7 3.2 .3 .3 .6 .6 .6 .6 Nov. 1996 Dec. 1996 Jan. 1997 Feb. 1997 Region and area size 2/ Size classes A B C D 4/ ................................. 3/ ................................. 3/ ................................. .................................... M M M M 142.9 158.9 158.5 155.8 142.9 159.0 158.6 155.5 143.6 159.2 159.1 155.9 144.1 159.5 159.6 156.2 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.4 .8 .3 .6 .5 .3 .2 .3 .2 2.9 3.4 3.0 3.3 .5 .2 .4 .1 .5 .1 .3 .3 Selected local areas Chicago-Gary-Lake County, IL-IN-WI...... Los Angeles-Anaheim-Riverside, CA ...... N.Y.-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT Phil.-Wilmington-Trenton, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5/ ......................... San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA 5/ .. M M M 159.4 158.4 168.4 159.7 158.3 168.5 160.4 159.1 169.1 161.1 159.2 170.1 3.8 1.9 2.7 .9 .6 .9 .4 .1 .6 3.8 2.2 2.6 .6 .4 .4 .4 .5 .4 M M 164.3 156.9 164.3 156.0 165.1 157.0 165.8 157.9 2.9 3.1 .9 1.2 .4 .6 3.0 2.7 .5 .1 .5 .6 Baltimore, MD 6/ ....................... Boston-Lawrence-Salem, MA-NH ........... Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, OH ............. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL .............. St. Louis-East St. Louis, MO-IL 7/ ..... Washington, DC-MD-VA 6/ ................ 1 1 1 1 1 1 154.8 166.3 153.8 156.4 151.4 161.2 2.8 3.4 3.2 4.0 2.9 3.1 .6 .8 .0 1.1 .1 .2 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX .................. Detroit-Ann Arbor, MI .................. Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX ......... Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley, PA 7/ ........ 2 2 2 2 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ - 150.0 154.3 143.6 155.4 155.8 167.7 153.8 158.1 151.5 161.6 - 150.7 155.4 144.5 156.2 - 3.1 2.7 2.1 3.4 .5 .7 .6 .5 - - - Foods, fuels, and several other items priced every month in all areas; most other goods and services priced as indicated: M - Every month. 1 - January, March, May, July, September, and November. 2 - February, April, June, August, October, and December. Regions defined as the four Census regions. See map in technical notes. Starting in January, 1998, a new Size Class B/C will be introduced, composed of current Size Class B and Size Class C cities. There will be no individual Size Class B or Size Class C. Indexes on a December 1986=100 base. Indexes for the cities of Philadelphia and San Francisco will no longer be published on a monthly basis starting in January, 1998. Beginning in February, 1998 they will be published on a bi-monthly basis. Indexes for the cities of Washington and Baltimore will no longer be published separately after December, 1997. Beginning in January, 1998 the two cities will be published as a Washington-Baltimore combined metropolitan area. Indexes for the cities of Pittsburgh and St. Louis will no longer be published on a bi-monthly basis after December, 1997. Beginning in July, 1998 they will be published semi-annually, each January and July. - NOTE: Data not available. Local area CPI indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a smaller sample size than the national index and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are similar. Therefore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics strongly urges users to consider adopting the national average CPI for use in their escalator clauses. Table 4. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Relative Unadjusted indexes importance, December Jan. Feb. 1996 1997 1997 Unadjusted percent change to Feb. 1997 fromFeb. 1996 Jan. 1997 Seasonally adjusted percent change fromNov. to Dec. to Jan. to Dec. Jan. Feb. Expenditure category All items .................................. All items (1967=100) ....................... 100.000 - 156.3 465.7 156.8 467.0 3.0 - 0.3 - 0.3 - 0.1 - 0.2 - Food and beverages ....................... Food ................................... Food at home ......................... Cereals and bakery products ........ Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ..... Dairy products 1/ .................. Fruits and vegetables 2/ ........... Other food at home ................. Sugar and sweets ................. Fats and oils .................... Nonalcoholic beverages ........... Other prepared food .............. Food away from home .................. Alcoholic beverages .................... 19.436 17.749 11.387 1.688 3.535 1.387 2.086 2.691 .373 .282 .841 1.194 6.362 1.687 156.4 156.1 157.1 176.2 149.3 147.6 186.1 144.4 146.8 141.9 127.9 159.3 155.4 160.4 156.4 156.0 156.8 176.4 148.4 146.0 186.1 145.0 147.2 142.3 128.0 160.4 155.7 161.1 3.8 3.8 4.2 2.7 4.4 6.6 5.4 2.5 4.0 1.9 -1.1 4.7 3.2 3.2 .0 -.1 -.2 .1 -.6 -1.1 .0 .4 .3 .3 .1 .7 .2 .4 .1 .1 -.1 .2 .7 -.5 -1.6 .3 .6 .2 .2 .3 .2 .4 -.2 -.3 -.6 -.1 -.5 -.6 -1.7 .0 .5 -.3 .0 -.1 .3 .1 .2 .3 .3 -.1 -.3 -1.1 2.7 .2 .2 .1 -.4 .7 .2 .1 Housing 2/ ............................... Shelter ................................ Renters' costs 3/ 4/.................. Rent, residential .................. Other renters' costs 4/ ............ Homeowners' costs 3/ 4/............... Owners' equivalent rent 3/ ......... 38.747 25.867 8.079 6.580 1.499 17.599 17.277 151.8 168.6 159.4 164.1 216.3 163.3 163.7 152.4 169.4 160.9 164.4 224.9 163.7 164.0 3.0 2.9 3.1 2.7 5.1 2.8 2.8 .4 .5 .9 .2 4.0 .2 .2 .2 .2 .1 .2 -.1 .2 .2 .3 .2 .4 .2 1.3 .2 .2 .2 .3 .3 .1 .6 .3 .3 Household insurance 3/ 4/ .......... Maintenance and repairs 1/ 4/ ........ Maintenance and repair services 1/ 4/ ................. Maintenance and repair commodities 1/ 4/ .............. Fuel and other utilities 2/ ............ Fuels ................................ Fuel oil and other household fuel commodities .................... Gas (piped) and electricity (energy services)....................... Other utilities and public services 4/ ...................... Household furnishings and operation 2/ . Housefurnishings 4/ .................. Housekeeping supplies ................ Housekeeping services 4/ ............. .322 .189 147.4 140.1 148.5 140.7 2.0 3.7 .7 .4 -1.7 .1 .4 .0 .7 .4 .105 150.0 150.3 3.7 .2 .1 -.1 .2 .084 7.344 3.979 127.3 130.5 118.5 128.3 130.7 118.5 3.6 4.9 6.0 .8 .2 .0 .0 .4 .6 .2 .8 1.1 .8 .3 .5 .391 111.6 109.4 12.1 -2.0 3.1 -1.2 -2.0 3.588 124.5 124.8 5.4 .2 .3 1.4 .7 3.365 5.536 3.261 1.129 1.145 160.3 123.4 109.5 142.8 152.6 160.9 123.7 109.8 143.1 152.9 3.5 .7 -.2 1.7 2.3 .4 .2 .3 .2 .2 .1 .2 .4 .0 .3 .3 -.2 -.5 .4 -.3 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 Apparel and upkeep ....................... Apparel commodities 4/ ................. Men's and boys' apparel .............. Women's and girls' apparel............ Infants' and toddlers' apparel 1/ .... Footwear ............................. Other apparel commodities 4/.......... Apparel services 1/ 4/ ................. 5.348 4.838 1.286 2.053 .240 .799 .461 .510 128.7 125.1 127.0 119.9 128.5 126.0 144.6 160.8 131.1 127.6 127.2 124.8 128.1 127.2 145.7 161.3 .7 .5 .7 1.2 -5.3 .7 -.8 2.2 1.9 2.0 .2 4.1 -.3 1.0 .8 .3 .1 .0 -.4 .8 .3 .2 -2.6 .3 .4 .5 .9 .6 .3 -.7 .4 .2 .4 .4 -.9 1.1 -.3 .1 1.0 .3 Transportation ........................... Private transportation ................. New vehicles ......................... New cars ........................... Used cars ............................ Motor fuel ........................... Gasoline ........................... Maintenance and repairs .............. Other private transportation 4/....... Other private transportation commodities 4/.................. Other private transportation services 4/ .................... Public transportation .................. 19.190 17.934 4.893 3.533 2.320 3.921 1.616 5.185 144.6 142.4 146.6 142.7 155.9 108.8 108.2 162.0 171.9 144.4 142.4 146.7 142.5 155.7 108.2 107.5 162.1 172.6 3.1 3.2 1.5 1.1 -1.8 10.3 9.9 2.9 2.3 -.1 .0 .1 -.1 -.1 -.6 -.6 .1 .4 .6 .6 .0 .1 -.3 2.6 2.8 .1 -.2 .0 .1 -.1 -.2 .1 .6 .5 .4 .1 .0 .1 -.1 -.1 .4 -.1 -.2 -.2 .4 .742 104.2 104.3 -.3 .1 -.1 -.2 .1 4.442 1.256 189.0 183.6 190.0 180.3 2.7 3.3 .5 -1.8 -.2 1.8 .2 -2.7 .5 -2.2 Medical care ............................. Medical care commodities ............... 6.251 1.047 231.1 210.1 232.1 211.4 2.9 2.6 .4 .6 .2 .2 .2 .1 .2 .4 Medical care services .................. Professional medical services ........ 5.204 2.973 235.9 213.3 236.8 214.3 2.9 3.4 .4 .5 .3 .3 .2 .2 .0 .2 Entertainment 4/ ......................... Entertainment commodities 4/ ........... Entertainment services 4/ .............. 4.015 2.036 1.979 158.8 142.9 181.4 159.2 143.1 182.2 2.1 1.2 3.0 .3 .1 .4 .3 .3 .3 .0 -.3 .2 .1 .1 .1 Other goods and services 2/ .............. Tobacco and smoking products ........... Personal care 1/ ....................... Toilet goods and personal care appliances 1/ .................... Personal care services 1/ ............ Personal and educational expenses 4/ ... School books and supplies ............ Personal and educational services 4/ . 7.012 2.117 1.107 216.7 236.1 151.6 217.4 237.0 151.4 3.7 3.1 1.5 .3 .4 -.1 .0 -.3 -.6 .6 .6 .8 .4 .5 -.1 .610 .497 3.788 .232 3.556 144.4 160.8 249.7 236.2 251.1 144.2 160.8 250.8 236.9 252.3 -.3 3.7 4.8 4.9 4.8 -.1 .0 .4 .3 .5 -1.3 .4 .4 .5 .4 .6 .9 .5 -.1 .6 -.1 .0 .6 .3 .6 Table 4. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group - Continued (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Relative Unadjusted indexes importance, December Jan. Feb. 1996 1997 1997 Unadjusted percent change to Feb. 1997 fromFeb. 1996 Jan. 1997 Seasonally adjusted percent change fromNov. to Dec. to Jan. to Dec. Jan. Feb. Commodity and service group All items .................................. Commodities .............................. Food and beverages ..................... Commodities less food and beverages .... Nondurables less food and beverages .. Apparel commodities 4/ ............. Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel .................... Durables ............................. 100.000 47.057 19.436 27.621 16.215 4.838 156.3 141.5 156.4 132.4 133.7 125.1 156.8 141.8 156.4 132.9 134.5 127.6 3.0 2.8 3.8 2.2 3.7 .5 .3 .2 .0 .4 .6 2.0 .3 .3 .1 .5 .7 .0 .1 .0 -.2 .2 .1 .5 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .4 11.377 11.407 140.9 129.5 140.8 129.5 5.1 .2 -.1 .0 1.2 .0 .3 -.1 .1 .1 Services ................................. Rent of shelter 3/ ..................... Household services less rent of shelter 3/ 4/....................... Transportation services ................ Medical care services .................. Other services ......................... 52.943 25.329 174.2 162.3 174.9 163.0 3.2 2.9 .4 .4 .3 .2 .2 .4 .2 .2 8.553 7.314 5.204 6.542 132.9 181.3 235.9 202.7 133.3 181.3 236.8 203.5 4.1 2.8 2.9 3.9 .3 .0 .4 .4 .2 .3 .3 .4 .7 -.3 .2 .4 .4 -.1 .0 .3 82.251 74.133 82.401 93.749 29.308 17.901 13.064 35.651 27.613 47.738 7.901 92.099 74.350 156.3 153.2 146.8 152.8 133.5 135.3 141.8 145.4 165.7 169.0 113.0 162.5 164.1 156.8 153.5 147.3 153.2 134.0 136.0 141.8 145.7 166.2 169.6 112.7 163.0 164.8 2.9 3.1 3.2 3.0 2.3 3.6 4.8 3.7 3.6 3.3 8.2 2.6 2.4 .3 .2 .3 .3 .4 .5 .0 .2 .3 .4 -.3 .3 .4 .3 .3 .3 .3 .4 .7 .8 .3 .2 .2 1.5 .1 .2 .2 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .2 .3 .9 .1 .2 .2 .1 .2 .2 .1 .3 .2 .2 .3 .2 .3 .2 .2 24.996 4.312 49.354 141.0 109.4 179.8 141.7 108.6 180.4 .9 10.4 3.1 .5 -.7 .3 .0 2.7 .2 .1 .4 .2 .2 -.3 .2 - $.640 .215 $.638 .214 -2.9 - -.3 - -.2 - -.2 - -.3 - Special indexes All items less food ........................ All items less shelter ..................... All items less homeowners' costs 3/ 4/...... All items less medical care ................ Commodities less food ...................... Nondurables less food ...................... Nondurables less food and apparel .......... Nondurables ................................ Services less rent of shelter 3/ 4/ ........ Services less medical care services ........ Energy ..................................... All items less energy ...................... All items less food and energy ........... Commodities less food and energy commodities ................. Energy commodities ................... Services less energy services .......... Purchasing power of the consumer dollar: 1982-84=$1.00 1/ ......................... 1967=$1.00 1/ ............................ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ NOTE: Not seasonally adjusted. This index series will undergo a change in composition in January, 1998. Indexes on a December 1984=100 base. This index series will no longer appear in its present form after December, 1997. See Table X for a comparable index series. Data not available. Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 5. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Seasonally adjusted indexes Nov. 1996 Dec. 1996 Jan. 1997 Feb. 1997 May 1996 Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent change for 3 months ended6 months endedAug. Nov. Feb. Aug. Feb. 1996 1996 1997 1996 1997 Expenditure category All items .................................... - - - - 4.0 1.8 3.9 2.3 2.9 3.1 Food and beverages ......................... Food ..................................... Food at home ........................... Cereals and bakery products .......... Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs ....... Dairy products 1/ .................... Fruits and vegetables 2/.............. Other food at home ................... Sugar and sweets ................... Fats and oils ...................... Nonalcoholic beverages ............. Other prepared food ................ Food away from home .................... Alcoholic beverages ...................... 156.2 155.8 157.0 176.0 148.0 149.2 188.0 143.6 145.0 141.5 127.1 159.0 154.6 160.0 156.3 155.9 156.9 176.3 149.1 148.5 185.0 144.1 145.9 141.8 127.4 159.5 154.9 160.6 156.0 155.5 156.0 176.2 148.3 147.6 181.8 144.1 146.6 141.4 127.4 159.3 155.4 160.8 156.3 155.9 156.5 176.0 147.9 146.0 186.7 144.4 146.9 141.6 126.9 160.4 155.7 160.9 3.5 3.2 3.8 4.3 .0 1.5 12.0 3.2 4.9 1.4 .9 5.1 2.9 3.1 5.9 6.2 7.9 2.3 11.8 21.7 6.7 2.0 3.7 3.5 -.6 2.6 3.2 3.1 5.3 5.3 6.4 4.2 6.8 14.3 6.0 2.3 2.0 2.3 -4.0 7.6 3.7 4.1 .3 .3 -1.3 .0 -.3 -8.3 -2.7 2.2 5.3 .3 -.6 3.6 2.9 2.3 4.7 4.7 5.8 3.3 5.7 11.1 9.4 2.6 4.3 2.5 .2 3.8 3.1 3.1 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.1 3.2 2.4 1.5 2.3 3.6 1.3 -2.3 5.6 3.3 3.2 Housing 2/ ................................. Shelter .................................. Renters' costs 3/ 4/.................... Rent, residential .................... Other renters' costs 4/ .............. Homeowners' costs 3/ 4/ ................ Owners' equivalent rent 3/ ........... Household insurance 3/ 4/ ............ Maintenance and repairs 1/ 4/ .......... Maintenance and repair services 1/ 4/ Maintenance and repair commodities 1/ 4/ ................ Fuel and other utilities 2/............... Fuels .................................. Fuel oil and other household fuel commodities ...................... Gas (piped) and electricity (energy services)......................... Other utilities and public services 4/ . 151.1 167.8 158.7 163.3 217.9 162.5 162.8 149.8 139.9 149.9 151.4 168.2 158.9 163.7 217.6 162.9 163.2 147.3 140.1 150.1 151.9 168.6 159.6 164.1 220.5 163.2 163.5 147.9 140.1 150.0 152.2 169.1 160.0 164.3 221.8 163.7 164.0 148.9 140.7 150.3 3.3 3.2 2.9 2.5 4.4 3.3 3.3 1.4 5.4 5.1 2.7 2.9 3.6 3.0 6.5 2.8 2.8 2.5 1.5 6.1 3.0 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.5 6.7 5.6 2.4 2.9 3.1 3.3 2.5 7.4 3.0 3.0 -2.4 2.3 1.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 2.8 5.5 3.0 3.0 1.9 3.4 5.6 3.0 2.9 3.1 2.6 4.9 2.7 2.7 2.0 4.0 1.8 127.1 129.3 116.1 127.1 129.8 116.8 127.3 130.8 118.1 128.3 131.2 118.7 5.6 4.5 4.7 -4.4 3.2 2.9 10.0 5.4 7.2 3.8 6.0 9.3 .5 3.9 3.8 6.9 5.7 8.2 106.2 109.5 108.2 106.0 19.0 -13.1 54.2 -.8 1.7 23.7 122.7 159.9 123.1 160.1 124.8 160.6 125.7 160.7 3.4 5.0 4.7 3.1 3.3 3.8 10.1 2.0 4.1 4.0 6.7 2.9 Household furnishings and operation 2/ ... Housefurnishings 4/ .................... Housekeeping supplies .................. Housekeeping services 4/ ............... 123.5 109.8 142.3 152.6 123.8 110.2 142.3 153.0 123.5 109.7 142.9 152.5 123.6 109.8 143.1 152.6 .7 -.7 1.4 3.0 1.3 .4 2.0 3.8 .7 -.4 1.1 2.9 .3 .0 2.3 .0 1.0 -.2 1.7 3.4 .5 -.2 1.7 1.5 Apparel and upkeep ......................... Apparel commodities 4/ ................... Men's and boys' apparel ................ Women's and girls' apparel ............. Infants' and toddlers' apparel 1/ ...... Footwear ............................... Other apparel commodities 4/............ Apparel services 1/ 4/ ................... 130.7 127.4 128.5 122.7 127.7 128.2 149.6 160.0 130.8 127.4 128.0 123.7 128.1 128.5 145.7 160.5 131.3 128.0 129.2 124.5 128.5 127.6 146.3 160.8 131.8 128.5 128.1 125.9 128.1 127.7 147.7 161.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.6 -10.8 1.9 4.1 2.3 -6.0 -6.7 -1.2 -11.0 -13.8 .9 -9.5 2.0 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.7 3.2 1.3 8.1 1.0 3.4 3.5 -1.2 10.8 1.3 -1.6 -5.0 3.3 -2.4 -2.8 .0 -4.9 -12.3 1.4 -2.9 2.2 3.7 3.8 1.4 7.7 2.2 -.2 1.4 2.1 Transportation ............................. Private transportation ................... New vehicles ........................... New cars ............................. Used cars .............................. Motor fuel ............................. Gasoline ............................. Maintenance and repairs ................ Other private transportation 4/......... Other private transportation commodities 4/.................... Other private transportation services 4/ ...................... Public transportation .................... 144.3 142.0 145.8 141.7 156.7 108.6 108.0 161.3 171.2 145.2 142.8 145.8 141.9 156.3 111.4 111.0 161.5 170.9 145.2 143.0 145.7 141.6 156.4 112.1 111.6 162.2 171.1 145.2 143.2 145.6 141.5 157.1 112.0 111.4 161.9 171.8 8.2 8.0 2.0 1.4 -3.7 38.4 37.0 2.3 1.9 -1.9 -2.5 2.5 3.2 -3.0 -17.6 -17.4 3.3 4.1 4.6 4.0 1.7 .3 -1.5 14.9 14.1 4.1 1.4 2.5 3.4 -.5 -.6 1.0 13.1 13.2 1.5 1.4 3.0 2.6 2.2 2.3 -3.3 6.8 6.4 2.8 3.0 3.5 3.7 .6 -.1 -.3 14.0 13.6 2.8 1.4 104.2 104.1 103.9 104.0 -.8 .4 .0 -.8 -.2 -.4 188.1 185.8 187.8 189.1 188.1 184.0 189.0 179.9 2.4 9.5 4.8 4.6 1.5 13.0 1.9 -12.1 3.6 7.0 1.7 -.3 Medical care ............................... Medical care commodities ................. Medical care services .................... Professional medical services .......... Entertainment 4/ ........................... Entertainment commodities 4/ ............. Entertainment services 4/ ................ 230.3 209.5 234.8 212.4 158.3 142.9 180.4 230.8 209.9 235.4 213.0 158.8 143.3 181.0 231.2 210.1 235.9 213.5 158.8 142.9 181.4 231.6 211.0 236.0 213.9 159.0 143.1 181.6 3.4 2.9 3.5 3.3 2.1 1.1 3.0 2.8 2.3 3.0 3.5 2.6 1.7 3.2 3.0 2.1 3.1 4.1 2.3 1.7 3.2 2.3 2.9 2.1 2.9 1.8 .6 2.7 3.1 2.6 3.3 3.4 2.3 1.4 3.1 2.6 2.5 2.6 3.5 2.0 1.1 2.9 Other goods and services 2/................. Tobacco and smoking products ............. Personal care 1/ ......................... Toilet goods and personal care appliances 1/ ...................... Personal care services 1/ .............. Personal and educational expenses 4/ ..... School books and supplies .............. 215.5 235.5 151.3 215.6 234.8 150.4 216.8 236.1 151.6 217.7 237.2 151.4 4.3 3.9 3.0 3.1 .9 .3 3.6 4.9 2.4 4.1 2.9 .3 3.7 2.4 1.6 3.9 3.9 1.3 145.4 158.7 246.9 233.1 143.5 159.4 247.9 234.2 144.4 160.8 249.2 234.0 144.2 160.8 250.6 234.8 3.9 1.8 4.8 4.5 -1.1 1.8 5.1 6.3 -.5 5.7 3.5 5.7 -3.3 5.4 6.1 2.9 1.4 1.8 4.9 5.4 -1.9 5.6 4.8 4.3 Personal and educational services 4/ ... 248.2 249.2 250.6 252.0 4.7 5.0 3.3 6.3 4.9 4.8 Table 5. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W): U.S. city average, by expenditure category and commodity and service group - Continued (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Seasonally adjusted indexes Nov. 1996 Dec. 1996 Jan. 1997 Feb. 1997 May 1996 Seasonally adjusted annual rate percent change for 3 months ended6 months endedAug. Nov. Feb. Aug. Feb. 1996 1996 1997 1996 1997 Commodity and service group All items .................................... Commodities ................................ Food and beverages ....................... Commodities less food and beverages ...... Nondurables less food and beverages .... Apparel commodities 4/ ............... Nondurables less food, beverages, and apparel ...................... Durables ............................... Services ................................... Rent of shelter 3/ ....................... Household services less rent of shelter 3/ 4/...................... Transportation services .................. Medical care services .................... Other services ........................... 141.5 156.2 132.5 134.3 127.4 141.9 156.3 133.1 135.2 127.4 141.9 156.0 133.3 135.4 128.0 142.2 156.3 133.5 135.7 128.5 4.0 5.0 3.5 6.0 10.1 1.3 1.8 .3 5.9 -3.6 -6.1 -6.7 3.9 4.4 5.3 4.0 7.2 4.2 2.3 2.0 .3 3.1 4.2 3.5 2.9 2.6 4.7 1.1 1.7 -2.8 3.1 3.2 2.7 3.5 5.7 3.8 140.1 129.4 173.4 161.6 141.8 129.4 173.9 161.9 142.2 129.3 174.3 162.5 142.4 129.4 174.7 162.9 14.6 -.3 3.6 3.1 -7.2 .3 3.3 3.0 7.5 .6 3.1 2.5 6.7 .0 3.0 3.3 3.1 .0 3.5 3.1 7.1 .3 3.0 2.9 132.3 180.9 234.8 201.3 132.6 181.4 235.4 202.1 133.5 180.8 235.9 203.0 134.0 180.6 236.0 203.7 4.7 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.1 4.4 3.0 4.1 3.4 3.8 3.1 3.2 5.2 -.7 2.1 4.9 3.9 4.0 3.3 3.9 4.3 1.6 2.6 4.0 155.7 152.9 156.2 153.3 156.5 153.5 156.8 153.7 4.3 4.4 1.0 1.6 3.4 4.3 2.9 2.1 2.6 3.0 3.1 3.2 Special indexes All items less food .......................... All items less shelter ....................... All items less homeowners' costs 3/ 4/........ All items less medical care .................. Commodities less food ........................ Nondurables less food ........................ Nondurables less food and apparel ............ Nondurables .................................. Services less rent of shelter 3/ ............. Services less medical care services .......... Energy ....................................... All items less energy ........................ All items less food and energy ............. Commodities less food and energy commodities .......................... Energy commodities ..................... Services less energy services ............ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ NOTE: 146.5 152.4 133.8 135.8 141.5 145.4 165.0 168.2 111.9 162.3 164.0 146.9 152.8 134.4 136.7 142.6 145.9 165.4 168.6 113.6 162.5 164.3 147.1 153.0 134.6 136.9 142.8 146.0 165.7 169.1 114.6 162.6 164.6 147.4 153.3 134.8 137.3 143.1 146.3 166.2 169.4 114.9 162.9 164.9 4.3 4.1 5.6 8.4 11.3 5.8 4.1 3.5 20.2 2.8 2.5 1.7 2.1 -3.0 -5.2 -3.4 1.1 3.5 3.4 -8.0 2.8 2.2 3.9 3.8 4.0 7.4 7.4 5.4 4.0 3.2 11.1 3.3 2.5 2.5 2.4 3.0 4.5 4.6 2.5 2.9 2.9 11.2 1.5 2.2 3.0 3.1 1.2 1.4 3.7 3.4 3.8 3.4 5.1 2.8 2.4 3.2 3.1 3.5 5.9 6.0 3.9 3.5 3.0 11.1 2.4 2.3 141.5 108.6 179.2 141.5 111.5 179.6 141.6 112.0 180.0 141.9 111.7 180.3 1.1 36.6 3.5 -.3 -17.1 3.4 2.0 17.5 3.0 1.1 11.9 2.5 .4 6.4 3.5 1.6 14.7 2.7 Not seasonally adjusted. This index series will undergo a change in composition in January, 1998. Indexes on a December 1984=100 base. This index series will no longer appear in its present form after December, 1997. See Table X for a comparable index series. Data not available. Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Table 6. Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers: Selected areas, all items index (1982-84=100, unless otherwise noted) Indexes Percent change to Feb. 1997 fromFeb. Dec. Jan. 1996 1996 1997 Percent change to Jan. 1997 fromJan. Nov. Dec. 1996 1996 1996 Area Pricing schedule 1/ U.S. city average ...................... M 155.9 155.9 156.3 156.8 3.0 0.6 0.3 3.0 0.3 0.3 M M M M 163.0 162.6 160.7 166.0 163.2 162.6 162.0 166.3 163.5 163.1 162.0 166.3 164.2 163.9 161.9 166.8 3.0 3.0 3.2 3.0 .6 .8 -.1 .3 .4 .5 -.1 .3 3.0 2.9 3.5 3.0 .3 .3 .8 .2 .2 .3 .0 .0 Nov. 1996 Dec. 1996 Jan. 1997 Feb. 1997 Region and area size 2/ Northeast urban......................... Size A - More than 1,200,000 ........ Size B - 500,000 to 1,200,000 3/..... Size C - 50,000 to 500,000 3/........ North Central urban .................... Size A - More than 1,200,000 ........ Size B - 360,000 to 1,200,000 3/..... Size C - 50,000 to 360,000 3/........ Size D - Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ......... M M M M 151.7 151.3 150.8 154.5 151.9 151.5 150.7 155.1 152.1 151.9 150.5 155.2 152.4 152.3 150.5 155.6 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.9 .3 .5 -.1 .3 .2 .3 .0 .3 3.5 3.3 3.8 3.7 .3 .4 -.2 .5 .1 .3 -.1 .1 M 150.1 150.3 150.5 150.3 3.7 .0 -.1 4.0 .3 .1 South urban Size A Size B Size C Size D - ............................ More than 1,200,000 ........ 450,000 to 1,200,000 3/..... 50,000 to 450,000 3/........ Nonmetropolitan (less than 50,000) ......... M M M M 153.7 152.0 154.5 154.7 153.7 152.3 154.5 154.5 154.2 153.1 154.7 154.9 154.5 153.2 155.0 155.5 3.0 3.0 3.1 2.8 .5 .6 .3 .6 .2 .1 .2 .4 3.0 3.0 3.4 2.5 .3 .7 .1 .1 .3 .5 .1 .3 M 155.1 155.0 155.3 155.8 3.6 .5 .3 3.3 .1 .2 West urban ............................. Size A - More than 1,250,000 ........ Size C - 50,000 to 330,000 3/........ M M M 155.9 154.3 160.8 155.4 153.8 160.7 156.3 154.7 161.7 156.8 155.2 162.1 2.7 2.6 2.9 .9 .9 .9 .3 .3 .2 2.7 2.5 3.3 .3 .3 .6 .6 .6 .6 Size classes A 4/ ................................. B 3/ ................................. C 3/ ................................. D .................................... M M M M 142.0 156.0 157.7 155.1 141.9 156.2 157.9 154.9 142.5 156.3 158.2 155.3 143.0 156.5 158.7 155.4 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.4 .8 .2 .5 .3 .4 .1 .3 .1 2.9 3.4 3.1 3.4 .4 .2 .3 .1 .4 .1 .2 .3 Selected local areas Chicago-Gary-Lake County, IL-IN-WI...... Los Angeles-Anaheim-Riverside, CA ...... N.Y.-Northern N.J.-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT Phil.-Wilmington-Trenton, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5/ ......................... San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA 5/ .. M M M 154.4 152.9 164.7 154.6 152.7 164.7 155.3 153.6 165.1 155.9 153.6 166.2 3.8 1.8 2.8 .8 .6 .9 .4 .0 .7 3.7 2.1 2.6 .6 .5 .2 .5 .6 .2 M M 164.0 154.2 163.6 153.1 164.4 154.1 164.9 155.0 2.7 3.0 .8 1.2 .3 .6 2.9 2.4 .2 -.1 .5 .7 Baltimore, MD 6/ ....................... Boston-Lawrence-Salem, MA-NH ........... Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, OH ............. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL .............. St. Louis-East St. Louis, MO-IL 7/ ..... Washington, DC-MD-VA 6/ ................ 1 1 1 1 1 1 153.6 165.4 146.2 154.6 150.5 158.7 2.9 3.4 3.3 4.0 2.8 3.2 .7 .7 .0 .9 .1 .1 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX .................. Detroit-Ann Arbor, MI .................. Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX ......... Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley, PA 7/ ........ 2 2 2 2 - 150.2 149.4 143.0 148.8 154.6 166.6 146.2 156.0 150.6 158.9 - 150.8 150.3 143.6 149.6 3.4 2.6 2.0 3.4 - .4 .6 .4 .5 - - - - 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ NOTE: Foods, fuels, and several other items priced every month in all areas; most other goods and services priced as indicated: M - Every month. 1 - January, March, May, July, September, and November. 2 - February, April, June, August, October, and December. Regions defined as the four Census regions. See map in technical notes. Starting in January, 1998, a new Size Class B/C will be introduced, composed of current Size Class B and Size Class C cities. There will be no individual Size Class B or Size Class C. Indexes on a December 1986=100 base. Indexes for the cities of Philadelphia and San Francisco will no longer be published on a monthly basis starting in January, 1998. Beginning in February, 1998 they will be published on a bi-monthly basis. Indexes for the cities of Washington and Baltimore will no longer be published separately after December, 1997. Beginning in January, 1998 the two cities will be published as a Washington-Baltimore combined metropolitan area. Indexes for the cities of Pittsburgh and St. Louis will no longer be published on a bi-monthly basis after December, 1997. Beginning in July, 1998 they will be published semi-annually, each January and July. Data not available. Local area CPI indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a smaller sample size than the national index and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local area indexes show greater volatility than the national index, although their long-term trends are similar. Therefore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics strongly urges users to consider adopting the national average CPI for use in their escalator clauses.
