August 16, 2007 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

CPI in July 2007

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) advanced 0.1 percent in July, following a 0.2-percent increase in June.

[Chart data—TXT]

The index for energy declined for the second consecutive month, down 1.0 percent in July. The index for petroleum-based energy decreased 1.4 percent. The index for energy services fell 0.5 percent, resulting from a 1.7-percent decline in the index for natural gas.

The food index rose 0.3 percent in July, reflecting a 0.5-percent increase in food away from home. The index for food at home rose 0.1 percent in July after registering average monthly increases of 0.6 percent in the first six months of the year. 

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 0.2 percent in July, the same as in June. A smaller increase in the index for shelter was offset by an advance in the apparel index and larger increases in the indexes for medical care and for new and used vehicles.

For the 12 months ended in July 2007, the CPI-U rose 2.4 percent, as shown in the chart.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. To learn more, see "Consumer Price Index: July 2007" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 07-1242.