December 15, 1999 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Consumer prices in November

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1 percent in November, following a 0.2 percent increase in October. Excluding food and energy, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent in November, the same as in October.

[Chart data—TXT]

In the CPI-U less food and energy, a larger increase in shelter costs was offset by a downturn in the index for apparel and a smaller increase in airline fares. The energy index, which declined 0.1 percent in October, was unchanged in November. The food index increased 0.1 percent in November, following increases of 0.2 percent in each of the preceding four months. 

For the 12-month period ended in November, the unadjusted CPI-U increased 2.6 percent. During the same period, the CPI-U less food and energy rose 2.1 percent.

These data are a product of the BLS Consumer Price Index program. Find out more in Consumer Price Indexes, November 1999, news release USDL 99-355.