June 14, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Producer prices in May 2006

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 0.2 percent in May, seasonally adjusted. This increase followed a 0.9-percent jump in April and a 0.5-percent advance in March.

[Chart data—TXT]

The index for finished energy goods rose 0.4 percent in May after advancing 4.0 percent in April. Gasoline prices climbed 2.2 percent in May following a 12.3-percent jump a month earlier. The indexes for home heating oil, residential electric power, and diesel fuel also increased at slower rates than they had in the preceding month. 

Prices for finished consumer foods declined 0.5 percent in May compared with a 0.1-percent rise in April. The index for fresh and dry vegetables dropped 14.0 percent following an 18.1-percent increase in the preceding month. Prices for fresh fruits and melons, eggs for fresh use, and for finfish and shellfish also turned down in May after rising a month earlier. 

The index for finished consumer goods other than foods and energy moved up 0.2 percent in May following a 0.1-percent gain in April. 

From May 2005 to May 2006, prices for finished goods advanced 4.5 percent, as shown in the chart.

These data are from the BLS Producer Price Index program. To learn more, see "Producer Price Indexes — May 2006" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06-1011. 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.