May 18, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

PPI up in April 2005

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods advanced 0.6 percent in April, seasonally adjusted. This increase followed a 0.7-percent rise in March and a 0.4-percent gain in February.

 

[Chart data—TXT]

The index for finished energy goods advanced 2.1 percent in April, following a 3.3-percent gain in the preceding month. Gasoline prices increased 2.6 percent, compared with a 5.3-percent rise in March.

In April, price increases for fresh fruits and melons, pork, roasted coffee, beef and veal, confectionery end products, and fresh and dry vegetables prevailed over price decreases for dairy products, soft drinks, finfish and shellfish, processed young chickens, and eggs for fresh use.

The index for finished consumer goods other than foods and energy increased 0.2 percent in April, after inching up 0.1 percent in the prior month. 

From April 2004 to April 2005, prices for finished goods rose 4.8 percent, as shown in the chart. Over the same period, prices for finished energy goods jumped 15.9 percent, the index for finished goods other than foods and energy moved up 2.6 percent, and prices for finished consumer foods advanced 2.5 percent.

These data are from the BLS Producer Price Index program. For more information, see "Producer Price Indexes -- April 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-870.  All producer price indexes are routinely subject to revision once, 4 months after original publication, to reflect the availability of late reports and corrections by respondents.